Everything
by arwenforlife
Summary: Mercedes is a smart, curious, imaginative girl, who can't ever leave her house. She has a rare, genetic disorder, which makes her allergic to almost anything. Sam is the typical boy next door, with the typical family drama, who won't let her illness stop them from being together.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi there, thank you for your continued support for my Samcedes stories. This one is based on the movie 'Everything Everything' by J Mills Goodloe, which is in fact, based on a book written by Nicola Yoon. I love this movie. It's a little demure, but I still think it's worth the read. I hope you think so too. I have already written five chapters and will be starting on the sixth tomorrow, God willing. **

**I do not own Glee or the characters, neither do I own the movie 'Everything Everything'.**

* * *

Rrring! Rrring! The sound of a telephone ringing shrilly and extremely loud, startled seventeen-year-old Mercedes Jones from an impromptu nap.

Scrambling around for her phone, after barely getting her bearings, she hurriedly swiped the screen without checking the caller ID.

"Hello," her frantic voice sounded over the line.

"Hello Mercy. Napping in front of your computer again?" the playful voice of her best friend Blaine Anderson asked.

An automatic smile blossomed on her face.

"You think you know me so well, do you?" His laugh brought an even bigger smile to her lovely features.

"Course I do. You're my best friend and I happen to know how you operate. Let's see… you were sitting at your computer, writing up your latest review…for the latest book you have read…and you fell asleep. How did I do?"

A pout formed on her lips, as she listened to her best friend accurately summed up her actions. She could just see his handsome, smiling face now. Grudgingly, she admitted saying,

"Yeah, you got me. You know me pretty well. What's up?"

"That I do…Um…not much. I haven't heard your sweet voice for a while… I know we text each other, but it's not the same, so I decided to call. How are things with you?"

A weary sigh escaped her as she pondered his words and his subsequent question.

"Things are pretty much the same as before. There's not a whole lot I can do being stuck in the house twenty-four seven… but… hey, my birthday is coming up. I'm going to be the big one and eight…which legally makes me an adult and old enough to vote."

Blaine smiled at his friend's uncanny knack of turning a possible sad or morose conversation into a witty one. He kindly said,

"That's right. Eighteen…such an important age. I wish I could be there with you, to help you celebrate for a change. And Mercy, just so you know, I think about you every day and my greatest wish, is for you to escape that un-natural prison you didn't ask for."

* * *

Tears formed in her eyes. Life hasn't been easy for her, but not once has she ever complained. She always tries to make the best of her life, and keep a positive outlook. Her mother has been her rock and her best friend, besides Blaine, throughout her ordeal and just being around the two of them, makes life that much brighter for her.

"Thank you, Blaine. That means a great deal to me. You're one of a kind, you know that?"

Blaine swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. With a voice thick with emotion, he quietly said,

"Just like you Mercy. Your too, are one of a kind. Hey, I have news. Are you up for hearing it?"

Mercedes knew exactly what her friend was trying to do. He hated when she was sad, especially when he couldn't be there to comfort her.

"Yes. I am, so spill," she said.

"Well…first of all, I met someone. His…" A squeal from Mercedes cut him off and caused him to laugh.

"Ooh, tell me all about it." He shook his head at his friend's enthusiasm.

"I'm trying to. His name is Kurt. He's super talented, handsome and very fashion conscious. You would love him…he can be quite the diva sometimes."

Another squeal echoed downed his line.

"I'm so happy for you Blaine. He sounds wonderful and my type of guy…for a friend… but he sounds like the perfect guy for you."

* * *

Blaine was smiling from ear to ear. Her stamp of approval meant the world to him.

"Thank you, Mercy. I think he is. I met him a few weeks ago, but I didn't say anything for fear of jinxing it. I think he's the one Mercy. I get that we're both young, and it's still early… but somehow I have this feeling that we're going to be together for the long haul."

Mercedes' heart warmed for her friend, but looming in the back of her mind, she just couldn't help but wish the same for herself.

"That is so wonderful Blaine. I want this to work for you, more than anything, because you deserve to be happy."

A sad smile graced Blaine's features. His next words broke his heart to say them, but he meant them and wished them for his dearest friend.

"Thank you, sweetheart…you deserve to be happy too. I know it seems impossible, but….there's someone out there for you…and that person will see past those walls that hold you captive and see you for the beautiful, kind, awesome, genuine…I could go on and on…person you are."

Tears spilled un-checked down Mercedes' sweet face. Her days were lonely and they were limited people in her life, some who couldn't even come near her…but she always kept a light and happy disposition and a great amount of hope, coupled with unwavering faith, that one day, she would be able to live a normal life.

"Oh Blaine, you see what you do to me? You turn me into a blubbering mess every time you call me…but I love you for it. You make me want to get better so bad….and find my happily ever after too. You're the best friend a girl could ever have. Thank you for being my friend."

* * *

It was now Blaine's turn for the waterworks. After a few seconds he softly said,

"That goes both ways. I'm so glad that you are my friend Mercy and I love you…so much. Now, before we both cry our eyes out again, there was something else I wanted to tell you. My friend and his family are moving next door to you. I couldn't believe it when he told me where he was moving to. He's a great guy and his family is too. I told him about you…. not everything, because it's not my secret to tell, but…he knows you're my best friend and the only female besides my mum, who holds a special place in my heart."

"Fantastic! This place can be very boring sometimes, so it'll be great to have some new neighbors. Thank you for not telling him…about…you know…."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Mercy. It's up to you to tell whomever and whenever you want. Now, I've got to go. I'm meeting Kurt for an early dinner and I need to get organized."

"By organized, you mean selecting the right bowtie and sweater combo for your date?" A loud laugh sounded down the line from Blaine.

"You know me too well. They are so many to choose from, so it'll take me a while. Hey, I'm going to sync my itinerary with Kurt's and as soon as we find the correct time, I'll bring him to meet my best friend. How does that sound?"

"Sounds great. I'm looking forward to that day. Get going. I don't want you to be late for your date…and please send me a picture of him when you get the chance."

"Will do, my friend. Bye…I love you."

"Bye Blaine. Love you too."

At that, they both hung up with smiles on their faces. After a while Mercedes quietly said to herself,

"Shucks, I forgot to ask Blaine for his friend's name. Oh well, guess I will find out soon."

* * *

**What do you think? Looking forward to hearing from you. I will try to post as fast as I can.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for your continued support. **

**I do not own Glee or the characters, neither do I own the movie Everything Everything.**

* * *

**MERCEDES' POV**

Sitting in my outdoor swing, hanging chair, I take a look around me, seeing everything that I love and although it makes me happy, I'm also sad.

It's great to have everything you love and want at your fingertips, but everything I need is beyond them. Just a stone's throw away, but also a million miles away.

Don't get me wrong, I love this room. It's my favorite room in the entire house.

Most days I imagine the glass that surrounds me, would just fall away and I'd be on the outside, enjoying the breeze, the birds singing in the trees, the sky the sun and even the sea, everything.

I don't leave my house, in fact, I haven't left in seventeen years. If I go outside, I'd probably die.

A radiator sterilizes my clothes. I own a hundred white t-shirts, they're my standard uniform.

There is an airlocked room surrounding my front door. Since it's sealed and airtight, nothing can leak into the house when the door is opened.

I would love to go outside, but I can't.

Simple viruses can kill me. It's like I'm allergic to everything. What I eat, what I touch, they all have consequences.

I have Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, or SCID, as it's commonly known. In other words, my immune system sucks.

This is how it is. In every drop of blood, they are special cells called Lymphocytes. Some of these are good at fighting off bad guys, like viruses and bacteria, but because I have SCID, I have fewer Lymphocytes than normal. The ones that I do have, are not so good at fighting off anything.

My mom made me join an online support group, some of these people are really sick and some have a hard time interacting socially. At least I have the internet…and Blaine.

I do my fair share of exercise and I read a lot of books. When I'm done, I write short reviews.

I also take an architecture class on line, and whenever I make a new model, I put an astronaut inside. I can relate to him. I feel as though I'm stranded in space, because every day feels exactly the same.

* * *

**NEUTRAL POV**

Mercedes was just adding the finishing touches to an astronaut she was sketching, when she heard movement outside.

She calmly got up and went to the glass window facing the empty house next door.

She saw a Moving Truck with the back door open and sitting in it was a guy, dressed in all black, long hair and a skateboard beside him.

He noticed her right away and stood up in the truck, trying to get a better look at her.

She watched as a man appeared at the back of the truck and instructed the boy to get down. He did as told, taking his skateboard with him. His eyes remained glued to hers as he mounted the board and rode in her direction.

Mercedes too, couldn't take her eyes away from him. He was extremely handsome and as he smiled, it did something to her. If anyone asked her to explain what she was feeling in that moment, she wouldn't be able to say.

Everything seemed to slow down, as he peacefully rode his board with a smile on his face.

It all felt magical.

He gave a small wave and mouthed "Hi" to her as he disappeared from her sight.

A sweet smiled enveloped her face as her thoughts sounded in her head.

_'This must be Blaine's friend. Maybe today will be different.' _

She was brought out of her thoughts, when she heard the door to her hermetically sealed environment being opened. It was her mother.

She patiently watched as her mom entered after keying in the unlock code and stood before the other door, waiting for it to open.

There were certain procedures to go through and her mom followed all, from a to z. She watched as her mom placed her bag on a long wooden bench, stepped out of her heels and into a pair of comfortable soft shoes and proceeded to thoroughly wash her hands.

After which she dries them on a clean white cloth and placed it into a receptacle, resembling a bin.

* * *

**MERCEDES' POV**

If you're going to have an illness that requires someone to watch if you're still breathing, it's convenient for your mother to be a doctor.

I was diagnosed with SCID from an early age. My mom, Dr. Chantal Jones, was the one to figure out what was wrong with me, after eight ear infections and two cases of pneumonia.

I couldn't gain any weight as a baby…. which didn't hold true… because right now, I'm pretty sure that I have a little more than the average weight.

But who cares? I don't, my mom doesn't and Blaine doesn't. I'm me…I'm beautiful and I'll always think that way... or Blaine and my mom will have my behind.

Most kids with SCID don't make it past two years old, so that alone makes me eternally grateful for making it this far.

* * *

**NEUTRAL POV**

Just as her mom enters the house, her phone rings and she takes a moment to answer her call.

Mercedes knew exactly what to do next. She moved towards the medical station and sit, waiting patiently for her mom to finish her call. Her mom approached with a smile on her face.

"Hi sweetie," she chirped and planted a kiss to her daughter's forehead.

"Hi mom. How was your night?"

Her mom expertly turned to the many items on the counter and picked up a blood pressure monitor. As she slipped the cuff onto her daughter's arm, she said,

"The usual. Long hours on my feet, a pain in the butt to deal with every now and again, but all in all, a very satisfying night. I wouldn't change any of it for the world. Helping people and seeing them get well enough to leave the hospital, is the best feeling ever. Tell me, how is your day going so far?"

Mercedes thought about the day she was having so far. It was pretty safe to say, she was having a good day. Today was a milestone, one that was worth celebrating.

"So far so good."

* * *

**MERCEDES' POV**

Today is my birthday. I'm eighteen, which means nothing inside here. Time passes the same way, everyday.

Looking at my mom, I realized that this is the face patients usually see. Slightly distant, concerned. I wonder if they find it comforting… I do.

* * *

**NEUTRAL POV**

She watched as her mom followed through with her normal examinations, temperature, pulse and chest. It brought relief to her when she saw a smile on her mother's face.

"You didn't have to take the day off," she told her mom. A huge smile blossomed on her mom's face.

"I always take the day off. What do you wanna do today?" Mercedes smiled widely and said,

"Same thing we always do."

With that, they both enjoyed yellow cake with vanilla frosting, covered in white chocolate shaped sunflowers. Next, they proceeded to play a game of Scrabble, with Mercedes forming some interesting words.

"What does that say?" her mom asked, looking at a word her daughter spelled, with skepticism.

With a laugh, Mercedes replied, "Spotlight."

Her mom had to laugh. "No it doesn't."

"You're not good at phonetic Scrabble."

"Because it doesn't make any sense."

"You're the one who always wants to play."

"It was your dad's favorite game."

"Did he beat you too?"

"No, he'd let me win sometimes."

Amongst giggles and many 'new' words to add to their dictionaries, the two finished their game and went to wash up.

* * *

Later on, they sat cuddled on the couch, watching an old favorite movie called, 'Moonstruck' starring Cher and Nicolas Cage.

Mercedes loved that movie. She knew it line for line. She watched as her favorite leading lady slapped her male suitor, after he confessed to being in love with her. Her favorite line, _'Snap out of it,' _made her smile.

Just then, the doorbell sounded and she said, "I'll get it."

Her mom moved to get up, saying, "Stay here."

* * *

At the door, Sam Evans and his younger sister Stacy, stood and waited for someone to answer.

Meanwhile, curiosity compelled Mercedes to find out who was at the door. She went to the monitor for the outside camera, and was pleasantly surprised to see the guy she saw earlier, with a girl who looked almost like him.

He looked nervous and he had a cake in his hand. She smiled at the way he fidgeted.

Her mom on the other hand, was also surprised to see the boy and the girl, standing there. She looked at them, silently questioning their intention.

"Hi, my mom sent a Bundt. It's not very good," the boy nervously said.

Mrs. Jones was speechless for a beat. She really didn't know what to say. The girl piped in saying,

"It's kind of a thing our mom does. Every time we move in somewhere, she'll make us bring one to the neighbors. It's actually more of an apology than an introduction."

Mrs. Jones became silently amused. She asked,

"What is she apologizing for?" Before the girl could answer, the boy replied,

"For moving in."

"Oh… That's nice."

She made no move to accept the cake from the boy's outstretched arms. As kindly as she could, she said,

"Actually, I can't accept that."

"Why not?" he asked.

"It's complicated…but…please thank your mother for me…and… welcome to the neighborhood."

She turned to go back inside, but was stopped in her tracks when he asked, "Is your daughter around?"

His sister looked at him and said, "So that's why you came."

"No, it isn't."

"Yeah, it is." Their bickering was cut short by Mrs. Jones saying,

"No she isn't." She promptly closed the door and turned away.

* * *

At the monitor, Mercedes watched as the two turned away, laughing at the awkward encounter with her mother. The boy said,

"You take the Bundt next time."

A slight sadness shrouded her. This is the most activity that she's witnessed for a while and she still couldn't be a part of it.

She ran over to the window facing her new neighbors and watched as the boy and girl frolicked with the cake, subsequently crashing into the older man, who she believed to be their father.

The plate broke as it landed on the ground, spilling the cake and she heard the man say "Watch it," as he got into the car and drove off.

Silently, she turned away from the window, wishing and hoping, that things were different.

* * *

**That's it for this chapter. I hope it made sense.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for your continued support for this and my other stories. This chapter is another attempt at moving the story along. The chapter shows what Sam was thinking, when he first saw Mercedes. It also shows what happened before he took the cake to her house, amongst other things.**

**Standard disclaimer.**

* * *

**SAM'S POV**

As I sit in the back of the Moving Truck, with all of our possessions packed in boxes, I felt eyes on me.

Seeing a girl about my age standing by the window, I knew this had to be my buddy's best friend. I don't know why, but, somehow I forgot to ask him for her name.

I stood up in the truck, trying to get a better look at her and I wasn't disappointed.

She's beautiful. My perusal of her was cut short by my workaholic father, telling me to get down.

I took up my skateboard and decided to go for a ride.

I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. I felt this pull towards her and my heart rate sped up. I just couldn't explain it. There was something about her.

As I rode passed her window, I waved and said hi to her. I hope that I get a chance to meet her, because I really want to.

* * *

**NEUTRAL POV**

Sam returned later, after getting a feel for the neighborhood.

As he rode by, he looked at the window where he saw the girl earlier, but she wasn't there. His heart sunk a little at not seeing her, so he decided to head inside.

The smell of something baking hit him, as he entered his new home. He knew what it was instantly. His mom's infamous Bundt cake.

He was never so happy to see the cake and before his mum could ask him, he volunteered by saying,

"I'll take the Bundt to the neighbors' mom."

Mary Evans was surprised. It colored her lovely face, as she wondered if this was indeed her son.

She thought of the many times before, in their previous neighborhoods, when she had to force him to take the cake, or end up asking his sister to. His willingness was beyond her. She turned skeptical eyes on him and hesitantly said,

"Ok…ay. You can take it, but take your sister with you."

A scowl played on his handsome features, but he did as told. Standing outside the neighbors' door, he felt nervous. Not because the cake wasn't good, but because he would probably get to see the mystery girl up front.

He'd thought about calling Blaine to ask for her name, but decided against it. He would be living next to her, so it was more than likely that he would get to know her name.

He watched as a lady came through two glass doors and stood before them, with wonder in her eyes.

_'This must be her mother. I can see the resemblance,' _he said to himself.

A brief conversation ensued, with him injecting a bit of humor about the Bundt, but his internal thoughts screamed the question that was laying heavily on his mind.

_'Where is she?' _

Hearing the lady say that she couldn't accept the cake and hearing her vague reply, propelled him to ask her a question before she completely turned away.

"Is your daughter around?"

Right at that moment, Stacy chose to open her mouth and out him. He quickly tried to shut her up by denying her accusation. He deflated slightly, when he heard the lady say, "No, she isn't," and promptly closed the door in their faces.

Sam and his sister turned away. She was giggling at him. It was…. embarrassing…. but… somehow, still funny.

On the way back to their house, they played around with the cake and Sam, not looking where he was going, crashed into his dad. The plate and the cake hit the ground, causing his dad to gruffly tell him, "Watch it."

As his father drove away, no doubt going into work, Sam picked up the cake and made his way inside, with his sister in tow.

* * *

Mercedes felt like a stalker, watching the two kids' playful interaction with each other.

They seemed happy, although their father didn't. She watched as they made their way inside, with the fallen cake and all, and just like that, she felt the need to go to the other window, which faced another room in the new neighbors' house.

Her eyes swept over the window, seeing it bare, but, for some reason, her feet stayed rooted to the spot.

Seconds later, the boy appeared and looked in her direction. He smiled and waved to her, causing the exact reaction from her. They both stared at each other for a few moments more, until she turned away to head inside.

"Mercedes, do you want to finish the movie?" her mom asked.

"I'd rather know what a Bundt cake taste like."

"It's dry, you're not missing out on anything."

Quietly, Mercedes said to herself, "No, just everything."

After that, she made her way inside, to finish watch the movie.

* * *

**MERCEDES' POV**

There's a short list of people that know I'm alive. My mom, Blaine, my nurse Santana and her girlfriend Brittany.

Although, I'm pretty sure that Kurt knows and now the new neighbors do too.

I can't remember Santana not being with us. She's been working here for fifteen years. Sometimes, I think she's trapped in here with me.

* * *

**NEUTRAL POV**

"Morning Santana," Mercedes greeted, as she entered the room. She picked up the orange juice that was waiting there with her medication and took a sip.

"Hola Chica," Santana said, as she checked the meds and wrote down the information in a book.

Over the years, she has grown attached to her young patient and looked on her as a mother would a daughter.

A smug smile graced her features, as she reached into her bag, pulled out a paperback and happily said, "Feliz Cumpleanos."

Happiness exuded Mercedes. She embraced her sweet nurse and said, "Thank you. Thank you so much."

* * *

Later that night, she was sitting in her room, catching up on her studies, when she heard the sound of pebbles hitting her window. Curious to see what it was, she made her way over to the window and automatically smiled at the sight before her.

In the same room that she had seen the boy in earlier, someone was putting on a show… for her. She had no doubt who it was.

The Bundt cake from before, was sitting on the window ledge, when a long hand holding a torch, stretched out and shone a light on it. She watched as the hand retracted with the torch, only to reach back and knock the cake off the ledge.

Presently, he appeared in the window, dressed in all black, including a hoodie, which was covering his sandy blonde hair, and black gloves.

He spotted the light on the cake, which was now laying on the ground below. Next, he lifted his eyes to her, smiling and spotted the light in her direction. This made Mercedes laugh.

She watched as he casually walked away from the window and exited the dark room.

* * *

Next night, she heard the same sound again, pebbles hitting her house.

She placed the picture of a fish she was drawing, down on her bed and went to the window.

This time, along with the cake, there was a glass with some kind of drink in it and two pill bottles, sitting on the window sill.

Once again, the boy appeared, and again, dressed in all black, minus the hoodie and gloves. He reached for the glass, raised it in her direction, took a sip and winked at her.

An effortless laugh escaped her, as she watched him.

He placed the glass back on the sill, shook his head and said, "Terrible."

Like the night before, he moved away from the window, leaving her to do the same.

* * *

It's now the third night in a row, and the sound of pebbles could be heard hitting her house.

She placed the stack of post it notes she was writing on, down on her bed and went to the window.

As before, the cake was there on the ledge, but this time, a made up IV unit with a line, was attached to it.

The boy appeared, dressed like a priest… in black robes. He stood over the cake with a solemn look on his handsome face, giving the impression that he was about to perform a last rites ceremony.

It looked real, until he made the sign of the cross, where he mussed his hand around, in front of his chest. This made her laugh.

After performing the 'ceremony', he took the items away and returned, giving her a sweet smile. Sam knew he had her attention, and he wanted to hold it for a while longer.

Her smile warmed his heart and he knew that he could watch her smile all day, every day. He raised a finger, indicating his need for her to stay, and stay she did.

His idea was, to get her to call him, so he wrote his number backwards on his window and quickly picked up his phone.

The minute Mercedes saw him writing the number, she begun entering the digits in her phone. She quickly added it to her list of contacts, which weren't that many, and hoped to learn his name. This was her opportunity to, so she wrote out a text to him.

As she sent the text, something told her, that her life was about to change, for the better.

* * *

**I hope this chapter made sense. The next one will have a lengthy conversation between the two of them.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for your continued support and a BIG THANK YOU to TBloves2read, for shouting out this story. **

**I do not own Glee or the characters, neither the movie Everything Everything.**

* * *

For the first time in her young life, Mercedes felt different.

Since the new neighbors arrived, things have been interesting.

Currently, she is sitting in her cozy window space, writing out a text to Blaine's silly friend.

She suspects that most of the things he does, are for her enjoyment, but, all in all, he makes her laugh. She smiles as she watches him climb up into his window and sit in it, with his long legs hanging on the outside.

* * *

MERCEDES: Condolences for the Bundt.

MERCEDES: My name is Mercedes Jones. What's yours?

SAM: Sam. Sam Evans

"Hi Sam," she mouthed. And he mirrored her actions.

"Hi Mercedes."

He smiled and she suddenly became shy, moving away from the window, leaving him wondering what he did wrong.

_'Oh well, tomorrow is another day,' _he said to himself.

Next door, a case of butterflies and cold feet drove Mercedes from her window.

Besides Blaine, Sam is the first guy that she has ever interacted with, even if it's only through a window, or over the phone. Something about him draws her in and makes her want to do the impossible.

He was very likable and until she could find anything about him that she didn't like, she was powerless to stop the changes that were taking place inside of her.

She released a weary sigh as she got ready for bed. _'At least I know his name now. Sam...'_

* * *

Today, Mercedes has found herself working on her latest architectural model, with thoughts of Sam, swirling around in her head. Strange, yet wonderful feelings that she can't quite understand, starts to surface, every time he enters her mind. _'What's happening to me?' _she asked herself.

* * *

**MERCEDES' POV**

I tell myself that I won't text back immediately, when Sam texts me, and then I text back…immediately.

* * *

**NEUTRAL POV **

As she works on her model, the message alert on her phone goes off. She turns away from the model and picks up the phone. She smiles automatically. It's Sam.

* * *

SAM: Hey, what are you doing?

MERCEDES: I'm working on a diner model for my architecture class.

SAM: Interesting. Are you on house arrest?

MERCEDES: …

MERCEDES: Why do you think I'm on house arrest?

SAM: I haven't seen you outside once, since we got here?

MERCEDES: Um…I'm not on house arrest, but I can't leave the house.

SAM: Very mysterious. Are you a ghost? Cause I mean, it'd be just my luck that the girl next door is actually not alive.

This made her laugh.

MERCEDES: I'm like…ninety eight percent sure I'm alive.

SAM: Hmm. So what is it? Is it a guy? Are you knocked up?

MERCEDES: Oh my God. Well what if I was?

Her sassiness brought a smile to his lips.

SAM: Well, I'd be conflicted.

MERCEDES: About what?

SAM: Do you have a boyfriend?

MERCEDES: No. I don't have a boyfriend and I'm not pregnant. Did you spend all day thinking that I was pregnant?

SAM: Yeah, kind of. I mean, it would be awkward flirting with a pregnant girl.

MERCEDES: Right.

She laughed and ducked her head.

* * *

SAM: Don't you wanna know if I have a girlfriend?

MERCEDES: No.

Sam was taken aback, but in a good way. A playful smile blossomed on his face.

SAM: I'm hurt. That stings.

He even clutched his chest, emphasizing the 'pain' he was in. He saw her looked up at him, through he window, with a serene smile on her pretty face.

MERCEDES: So, where are you originally from? I know you lived in New York. Blaine told me.

SAM: Tennessee. And yes, I did. My good old buddy Blaine, has mentioned you a few times, but just in passing. He never told me your name or anything specific about you. I wanna move back sometime, to New York I mean.

MERCEDES: Oh. I always imagine myself working in a bakery in New York. You know, like Nicolas Cage in that movie 'Moonstruck.'

SAM: No.

MERCEDES: Snap out of it!

She wrote out. She did the actions then, and looked at him to get his reaction. He looked a bit puzzled and stood speechless, staring at her.

MERCEDES: It's from the movie. It's my favorite line, from my favorite scene.

He smiled then. She looked so cute sitting there, with her hands raised and a huge smile on her face.

SAM: Yeah, I figured. Alright, here's a game. Fast five favorites, okay?

MRERCEDES: Okay.

SAM: So, book, word, color, vice, person.

MERCEDES: Um…okay. Alright. Um… So I guess…

SAM: Come on, type faster, don't think about it.

MERCEDES: Alright. The little Prince, uxorious…

SAM: Ooh.

MERCEDES: Aquamarine.

SAM: Hmm.

MERCEDES: I don't have any vices and… my mom.

SAM: Oh come on. Everyone has vices.

MERCEDES: How many vices do you have?

SAM: Enough to choose a favorite.

MERCEDES: Your turn.

SAM: Alright. Lord of the Flies, macabre…

MERCEDES: Okay.

He points at himself and says….

SAM: Black. Uhh…petty theft and… my sister.

MERCEDES: Lord of the Flies. So, you're bleak.

SAM: I've been told that I have a poor outlook on life.

MERCEDES: Right.

SAM: Are your parents still together?

MERCEDES: Um… my dad's dead. So, no.

Sam was struck speechless. That thought had never crossed his mind. He tried hard in that moment not to pity her.

* * *

SAM: Oh.

MERCEDES: Wow! That was really awkward. I don't know why I made that sound so…

SAM: I shouldn't have asked.

MERCEDES: No. It's…um…He died in a car accident, with my brother.

SAM: I'm sorry.

He subtly changed the subject, by asking another question. It was a good way to get to know her.

SAM: So, since you don't leave your house, you don't go to SF Valley High?

MERCEDES: No, I don't go to school. I go online.

SAM: Why?

MERCDES: I'm sick.

SAM: Are you dying?

MERCEDES: Not right now.

SAM: Soon?

MERCEDES: If I left the house. Yeah… Probably.

SAM: What is it?

MERCEDES: It's called Severe Combined Immunodeficiency. It means my body can't fight bacteria or infections….

SAM: Is there a cure?

MERCEDES: For common kinds of SCID, but… I'm very un-common.

She chanced a look in his direction, seeing him looking a bit upset. And although it warmed her that he was concerned for her, she decided to make light of the situation.

* * *

MERCEDEDS: You're feeling sorry for me. I can see it. You're totally feeling sorry for me.

SAM: No…No. I… uhh… I'm not feeling sorry for you. You're alive now. You have the internet, so I don't feel sorry for you.

She knew he was fibbing. She could see the concern all over his face, but she played along.

MERCEDES: Good.

SAM: I wish I could meet you in person.

MERCEDES: Yeah, me too.

SAM: Come closer to the window.

She did as he asked.

SAM: Tell me what color your eyes are.

MERCEDES: Dark brown. Almost black.

SAM: You're beautiful.

MERCEDES: Thank you. What color are yours?

SAM: Green.

MERCEDES: Oh. I've never seen anyone up close with green eyes yet.

SAM: Oh. I guess I'm going to have to find a way to remedy that.

* * *

She smiled, making him smile in return.

For a few seconds, they stood watching each other, neither one wanting to leave.

Seeing her standing there, in her pyjamas and robe, Sam decided to end the standoff. He waved to her, prompting her to do the same.

As she turned away from the window, for the last time that night, he remained where he was until she was out of sight. Afterwards, he placed his hands in his pockets and walked away with a smile on his face.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for your continued support for this and my other stories. **

**I do not own Glee or the characters, neither do I own the movie Everything Everything.**

* * *

Next day, Mercedes found herself sitting at her computer, chatting happily with Sam.

Her nurse Santana was also there and she happened to glance at Mercedes, who sitting with a sweet smile on her face.

"What's so interesting on that laptop." Immediately, Mercedes sobered up, closed the lid and said,

"Nothing."

"It's not nothing. Something's making you smile."

"It's just cat videos."

Santana placed the basket of soiled cloths down and drew up a chair, next to her, with an expectant look on her face.

"You don't want to see this one Santana. The cat… dies."

The minute the lie left her lips, she felt awful inside. Santana was always nice to her and she considered her a friend. She had no reason to keep a secret from her, but she chose to anyway.

Santana looked at her, holding her gaze, but to Mercedes, it looked as though she was reading her mind. Hearing Santana laugh, broke the awkward tension and she lowered her head to the floor.

She lifted her eyes to her laughing nurse, after a few seconds and started laughing too.

* * *

Santana knew the signs of blossoming love when she saw it and by the look on her charge's face, she knew she was definitely smitten.

"You're an idiot," she said to Mercedes, with a smile on her face.

"I'm not an idiot."

"You are an idiot and you're not a very good liar." The only thing that Mercedes could do, was laugh. She was caught. Santana continued,

"You mean to tell me, that the only thing you could think to say, was that, it was a dead cat?"

Mercedes laughed again. She was embarrassed, but she didn't let on. "So, you know?"

Santana inhaled and exhaled loudly. Her heart went out to the young girl. "If I didn't know before, I know now. You're not very good at hiding things. I see you checking your emails and looking for him at the window."

There wasn't anything that Mercedes could have said to dispute what her nurse was saying. She was absolutely correct in her estimation.

"Maybe he could visit?" she asked.

Her question made Santana pause her actions for a beat, to look at her. Seeing no jest, she returned to sanitizing the counter top and said,

"Ha! You teenagers, you're all the same."

"Is that a no? He'd get decontaminated, and it'd just be for a half hour…"

"Are you crazy?"

"Wouldn't you be, if you were inside for eighteen years?" She pondered Mercedes' question for a moment, and then said,

"No." Mercedes kept up her persistence, trying to wear her nurse down.

"He'd get decontaminated, and sit across from me… like far, far away."

* * *

Santana allowed her words to sink in.

Truthfully, she felt really bad for Mercedes, but it was her duty to uphold the rules that would keep her safe and alive. With a heavy heart, she said,

"We can't always get what we want. Your mother will never let you."

"We don't have to tell her."

"Is it that easy to lie?"

"You know what… it's easier than I thought."

Santana turned away. She could feel herself crumbling and was powerless to stop it.

_'Don't give in. Don't give in. Damn this…sweet, kind girl. She makes me want to do anything I can, to make her life better.' _

She turned to Mercedes once again, looking at her for a long time, whilst the battle raged on in her head. After a while, she said,

"Okay. Let me go home and think about it overnight. I'm not promising anything, only that I'll think about it."

The joy on Mercedes' face almost brought tears to her eyes. Right at that moment, she knew what her answer was going to be.

"Thank you! Thank you so much Santana," Mercedes said, as she hugged her friend tight.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sam was busy on his computer, going through song after song, trying to find the right one for his crush.

After hours of searching he found the one he thought would best describe what he was feeling, and recorded it on his phone.

Later that night, he left his home and walked quietly over to her glass window. He carefully knocked on it, not wishing to startle her. When she looked up, he beckoned her over and as she walked towards him, the smile on her face caused his heart to flip flop in his chest.

He deftly connected his phone to her Bose speaker and pressed play.

The smile remained on her pretty face, as she stood in front of him, with her eyes closed, listening to the strains of 'I've Been Waiting for You.'

Mercedes was so enraptured by the moment, she imagined the glass between her and Sam had completely disappeared. As her imagination played out in her mind, she saw him enter and come to stand in front of her.

His eyes were so kind, so beautiful and so full of love, that she felt herself leaning in to meet him halfway, in a kiss. Just before their lips touched, the sound of his knocking brought her out of her reverie and back to reality.

The glass was still between them and he was still on the outside looking in.

He raised his hand to the glass, prompting her to do the same.

The difference in size and color threw her, when she looked at their hands resting fingertip to fingertip on said glass.

Her eyes traveled to his, and another thing struck her. He was tall. She knew that, but seeing him this close and having to look up into his handsome face, solidified it.

There wasn't a word in the dictionary that could explain what was happening to her, and she never wanted to feel anything other than what she was currently feeling.

* * *

Sam too, wasn't faring much better.

Back in New York, there has never been anyone, who made him feel anything close to what he was feeling.

He's never been more grateful for his workaholic father, than right now.

His family wasn't without blemish. They had their fair share of problems. The biggest one being, his dad working seven days a week and not spending time with the family.

Moving was a thing that he had gotten used to. Before they came out here, they were in New York for approximately six months, but after being here for this short period of time, he wanted to stay… for a long time.

After their magical moment, they decided to chat by text for a while, before both headed to bed.

* * *

Next day, Mercedes awoke with a determined spirit.

She had laid awake for a hours the night before, thinking about her life and the feelings that were slowly taking over her mind.

There was no doubt about it, she felt something deep for Sam. How, she didn't know, but she definitely saw her feelings reflected in his eyes.

There was so much to think about.

She had to be real with herself and try not to act rashly or irresponsibly.

The first thing she did on her computer that day, was to apply for a free credit card, from a company that was offering one, at zero percent interest for twelve months.

After filling out the information and submitting it, she was instantly approved.

"That was way too easy," she said to herself.

* * *

Mid afternoon rolled by and her nurse Santana walked up to her and said,

"Listen to me. You stay on your side of the room. He stays on his… I already told him the same thing…"

"What are you talking about?"

"You stay on your side… he stays on his… he's here."

Mercedes couldn't believe what her nurse was saying to her.

Her eyes widened and although she knew who Santana was referring to, she still asked, "Who's here?"

With a sweet smile on her face, Santana said, "Sam."

To say that Mercedes went speechless, would be an understatement. Her breath caught in her throat and she started stuttering, after about a minute.

Amusement masked Santana's face as she watched her young charge.

"Nod if you understand. I'm worried that you're losing your motor skills." Finally, Mercedes was able to ask,

"Why?"

"Because I'm terrible at saying no… and… because you deserve a little something."

Once again Mercedes was rendered speechless.

With tears in her eyes, she stood from where she was sitting and embraced her beloved nurse. After a few seconds, she pulled back and whispered, "Thank you."

"Dry your tears Chica. I got you… always. Is this what you're gonna wear?"

This made her laugh. She looked down at the white fitted tee and jeans, shook her head and ran off to her room.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sam was pacing up and down, not knowing what to do with himself. There was a nervous energy around him, as he awaited his crush.

This was a first for him. He was used to girls throwing themselves at him…. shallow girls, who thought looks and popularity meant everything. But meeting Mercedes and slowly getting to know her, showed him exactly what he has been missing.

She was refreshing, pure, real, beautiful and completely lovable. A voice in his head kept telling him, that she was the one and he wanted forever with her, however possible it could be.

He took his time perusing her sanctuary, the same one that keeps her imprisoned day after day, and he had to admit to himself, it was very peaceful and relaxing there.

All of a sudden, his attention was drawn to the other side of the room, and his eyes landed on the object of his desire. She looked lovely. This is the first time he has seen her wearing something, other than a white t-shirt.

The light blue, wide necked, fitted tee, coupled with fitted blue jeans, looked fantastic on her, along with the white flats she wore on her feet.

She looked shy… or scared… maybe nervous, he surmised, as she stood part-way behind the wall, peeking at him.

* * *

Mercedes was definitely nervous.

Sam looked so handsome. Although he was in his signature all black clothes, down to his socks, there was something different about him.

His smile and small wave disarmed her and she fully came from behind the wall.

"You're just gonna stay over there?" she asked.

"Santana said I had to stay as far away from you as possible."

"Cool. You're standing really still." At that, he looked down at himself, realizing the truth to her words. He turned towards her a bit more and said,

"Maybe you should come in."

"Yeah. I can do that."

She came further into the room and quietly took a seat, as he moved closer.

More nervousness took over. She wasn't sure what to do.

She tried crossing her legs, but quickly un-crossed them again, all to Sam's amusement.

"You're really different than I thought you were gonna be," she said.

"I know. Sexier, right?" he playfully asked.

This brought an almost undignified snort from her, which made Sam's heart flutter. He ran his hand through his long locks, smiling as he did so. He said to her.

"I understand that you're nervous. It's alright…you can be nervous."

"I am nervous," she threw in.

"Alright. So am I." He breathed out after his confession and placed his hair behind his ear.

"I like this room," he said.

His words brought her to her feet and broke the nervousness in the room, as she too released her breath and replied,

"Yeah. My mom built it, so that I could feel like I was outside."

"Does it work?"

"Most days. I have a really excellent imagination."

"Princess Mercedes and her glass castle."

"I'm not a princess."

"Good, because I'm not a prince."

* * *

His words struck something deep inside of her as she searched his features for any jest. There was nothing but complete honesty there and it floored her.

"So, how long have you been sick?"

"My whole life."

Neither of the two noticed they were drawing closer.

"What would happen if you went outside?"

"Probably spontaneous combustion."

"Oh, well don't. Stay inside." She laughed.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea."

"So, let me get this straight. You've never left this house before?"

"Ah… no."

"Where would you go…. if you could?"

"The ocean."

* * *

Sam was surprised. He imagined she'd say someplace exotic, like Fiji or maybe New Zealand, to sky dive or be daring, to do something like, bungie jumping.

"Why?" he asked.

"Well, it covers seventy-two per cent of the planet and it's approximately three miles from here… and… I've never seen it." Playfully, he hissed and said to her,

"It's a bad choice." She smiled at his reaction.

"Why?"

They were now standing just about a foot away from each other. He replied, "Well, I'm assuming, you can't swim."

She laughed as she said, "Yeah, you're right…but, I'd like to try."

He went on. "I respect the ocean. I mean, it's beautiful, it's impersonal. It's murderous..."

She laughed at that and Sam felt as though he could make her laugh forever. He continued with his jargon.

"Yeah, it's Mother Nature at her finest. I mean, the point of waves, is to suck your feet out from under you, so that you'll drown faster."

He said all of this with amusement in his eyes. Mercedes played along with him. "Right. I didn't see that dark turn coming."

Her eyes went to his fidgeting hands, as he played with the black rubber band on his wrist. He gave an audible exhale and said, "Ah… well."

Finally, he took the band off and flicked it against the wall behind her.

An awkward tension begun to set in once again, as they both went quiet. Not being able to take the silence, Mercedes said,

"I'm pretty good at Tai Chi."

"Yeah?" Sam asked, his green eyes twinkling.

Without voicing a reply, she showed him a few poses, leaving him entranced and wishing he was the shirt she was wearing. She finished her routine and stepped closer to him, with a sweet smile on her face.

"What else can you do?" he asked.

"Oh man, I'm afraid that's pretty much it."

He was impressed, and he wanted to kiss her so bad. He made a step closer, looking into her eyes, holding them captive, but, before either could make a move, Santana appeared, with a skeptical look on her face.

They both turned at her subtle intrusion, knowing that their moment had passed.

"You didn't touch, right?" she asked. They answered in unison, looking at each other and smiling.

"No." Sam finished up by saying, "No touching."

Santana looked at the young couple in front of her, and laughed on the inside.

_'These two fools are so into each other and so gone,' _she said internally. She folded her arms across her chest and quickly nodded to Mercedes, a silent indication, that Sam should go.

If it was up to her, she would allow him to stay longer, but if Mrs. Jones found out, it would be the end of their little fairy tale and the end of her job.

She allowed the two to say goodbye to each other and then let Sam out.

* * *

Afterwards, Mercedes was on top of the world.

She wanted to call Blaine, but decided against it, until she was more calm and collected.

She calmly walked up to her nurse and placed a gratuitous kiss to her shiny cheeks. There was a peaceful, contented smile on her pretty face, as she turned and headed to her room.

* * *

**That's it for this chapter. I hope it was worth your time. Much love to you.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you for your continued support, for this and my other stories.**

**Standard disclaimer.**

* * *

Morning found Mercedes sitting, with her head in space, being attended to, by Santana. She was completely oblivious to what her nurse was doing.

Santana took the stethoscope from her ears, after listening to Mercedes' chest and rested it on the counter. She stood for more than a minute afterwards, watching her charge sit, with a dreamy expression on her face.

She smiled to herself, because she knew that look. That was the look of someone completely smitten by another.

"Your face," she said in an alarming tone. That brought Mercedes out of whatever world she was in. Anxiously, she answered,

"What? Is there something on it?" Santana wanted to laugh so bad, but she kept her expression serious.

"I can see it. You're completely gone and you barely know him." Mercedes' face morphed into a smile, automatically making Santana smile also. She said,

"I thought you were on my side." A cheeky Santana said,

"Me, I'm just facilitating." Mercedes went quiet after that and Santana knew exactly what she was thinking. She braced herself for the inevitable question.

"You think I could see him again?"

"Maybe, in a week. I want to make sure you're okay."

"What am I supposed to do until then?"

"Hmm. When was the last time you posted a review?" Santana asked, as she moved away to write up a progress report.

Mercedes pondered that question for a few seconds, noting that she hadn't posted for a while. She decided to do just that.

After a while, she checked the time, it was just after ten, so that meant it was just after seven in New York. A three hour difference. She decided that it was too early to call her best friend. She would call him later.

* * *

Meanwhile, over at the Evans' household, tension was in the air. Sam's mother, Mary, and his dad Dwight, were arguing… about work.

His father was in a foul mood. He liked to work. There were times when he didn't have a job and things were extremely hard for the family. He vowed the day he got work again, he would do whatever it took to keep it.

He loved his family and he couldn't understand why his wife would get mad at him for working hard to provide for them.

The straw that broke the camel's back, was when she accused him of having an affair. The absurdity of it threw him. He looked at her as she shouted at him, and for the first time in his life, he felt disrespected by her. He stormed out of the house and went to work.

* * *

Sam and Stacy were at the table having breakfast, when all of this was going on. The two looked at each other, took up their un-touched breakfasts and placed them in the microwave.

Stacy headed to her room, locking the door and Sam headed out with his trusty skateboard, to clear his mind.

* * *

Mercedes had just finished posting a review, on the book Santana had given her as a birthday present. She felt good about what she wrote, so she decided to call her best friend. It was now after eleven, so that would make it after eight in New York.

Blaine answered on the second ring.

"Hi best friend. I haven't heard from you in a while."

That was true. Since Sam and his family arrived, which was weeks ago, she hasn't touch base with him.

"I'm sorry Blaine. You're right. I guess I was a bit… busy."

_'And distracted,'_ she thought to herself. Blaine could hear the misery in her voice and it pained him to know he might have caused it.

"Hey, don't feel bad. This friendship goes both ways, you know. I haven't called either. And like you, it's not that I didn't want to, I was also busy. Things have been moving pretty fast with me and Kurt… I have so much to tell you, but first, I want to know, how my best friend is doing."

A smile blossomed on her face. She wished she could see him in that moment.

"I'm doing fine. Great, actually. Things have been… looking a lot better lately." Blaine's curiosity peaked.

"Ooh! Does this have anything to do with a certain green-eyed gentleman? Cause I have to tell you, since he and his family left New York, I haven't heard a single thing from him."

Heat flooded Mercedes' face. She was tempted to avoid Blaine's question, but besides her mum and Santana, she knew Blaine genuinely cared about her and wanted better for her.

"Maybe."

"Oh, come on Mercedes, you've got to tell me everything."

And she did.

* * *

Blaine was over the moon for his friend. It made him happy that she was happy. Sam was an outstanding guy with a good head on his shoulders and he told her as much.

"He's a rare one Mercy. He's mature and very responsible. He cares for people and wears his heart on his sleeve. I couldn't wish for anyone better for my best friend. I know nothing is set in stone and there are challenges to overcome, but I can tell you this, Sam will never give up, until he is forced to and even then, he'll be thinking of a way to work things out."

"Thank you for telling me that Blaine. He seems exactly as you say. I really like him. He makes me feel special, just by the way he looks at me. I don't think that I am imagining these things."

"You're not. Trust me. Just take each day as it comes and have some fun along the way. Promise me that."

"I will. I promise. When are you going to come for a visit and bring Kurt? And I haven't received that picture you promised me."

Laughter echoed down the line from Blaine.

"I'm not sure yet about the visit, but as soon as I go off the line, I will send the picture. We are currently looking for an apartment, so that we can move in together. It's a big step, seeing that we haven't known each other that long, but it feels right."

That was something that Mercedes could relate to. Something felt right whenever she thought about Sam. Seeing him and hearing his voice made everything that she was going through felt ten times easier than before.

"I know what you mean. If this is what your heart tells you to do, then do it. Nothing beats a try, but a failure. I'm so happy for you and Kurt. I'm sending virtual hugs and kisses for the both of you… and remember, I love you, always."

"I love you too, Mercy. Thank you for the hugs and kisses. Do me a favor, when you see my other best friend, can you please tell him I said hi? Oh, and tell him I'm not calling him either."

That brought a loud guffaw from her. She could just picture Blaine now, his big hazel eyes twinkling with amusement and a mock scowl on his face.

"Okay, I will. Have a good day baby."

"You too, my dear Mercy."

* * *

The day wore on and not once did Mercedes see Sam. She missed him, terribly. That night, she went to bed with a heavy heart.

For the next few days, she hardly saw him. He was always on his way out whenever she saw him and she believed in her heart that he was returning late, when she would already be in her bed.

She couldn't help but to think wayward thoughts at his current behavior.

_'Maybe he doesn't really like me… or… he's found someone more suitable. God! I just wish I knew what was going on with him.'_

* * *

It's been almost a week, that Sam has been acting distant and quite frankly, Mercedes has had enough. She picked up her phone and dialed his number.

"Hey Sam. Where are you?" she asked.

"Skating in Venice." His errant reply made her pause. "Shit! I'm sorry. Mercedes?"

At this point, she knew that something was definitely going on with him. However, she pacified her voice and spoke to him.

'_No sense in adding to whatever it was, that seems to be bothering him.'_

"No! You should enjoy that… for both of us."

On the other side, Sam felt like scum for being rude to her. To him, she was the sweetest person he knew, not to mention, he wanted her, badly.

"It's boring without you," he said. This brought a smile to her face.

"What makes you think that I'd make it any better?"

"Well, there are no girls here, so, who am I supposed to show off to?" This time, she chuckled. She told him,

"Oh. I'd didn't take you for the show off type."

"You'd be surprised how much I would show off, just to see that pretty smile on your face."

"Flattery will get you nowhere... but, I'll give you points for that. So listen, on Tuesday, Santana has the night off, and my mom's working a double shift. So, I figured… maybe… you can come over… and we could watch the fireworks from the sun room."

"Wait, Tuesday… that's July fourth?"

"Yeah. Do you have plans or something?" she asked.

"No. I'm not very popular." She giggled when he said that, because she highly doubted that. She decided to humor him.

"Lucky for me then, I guess. So, I'll see you then?"

"Sure. I will see you then Mercy. But I beg to differ, I'm the lucky one." She smiled at his use of her nickname and at his kind words.

"Okay. Bye Sam."

"Bye."

She was so excited, she almost forgot that he was distant for a while, but hearing him and knowing he was going to come over, pushed that thought far, far away.

* * *

July fourth rolled around.

Her mom was taking her temperature, amongst some other medical routines.

"I don't know how Santana and I got our wires crossed. I don't want to leave you alone tonight. It's the fourth of July. Know what? I'll see if someone can cover for me."

That was the one thing Mercedes didn't want to hear. She tried to think of something to say that would change her mother's mind.

"I'll be fine," she said, as convincingly as she could.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'll be okay."

"What're you gonna do tonight?" her mom asked, hoping that she wouldn't be too lonely.

"I guess I'll read a book or something."

Her mom smiled. Her daughter had to be the strongest person she knew. She faced her challenges daily, with a contented smile on her lovely face, not once complaining. She finished her routine, kissed her on her forehead and set off to work.

* * *

Later on, Mercedes was dressed in a white spaghetti strapped dress, and sitting across the room from Sam.

As usual, he was dressed in all black and as usual, she thought he looked very handsome.

He was currently speaking about Calculus and its ability to indicate the future and Mercedes' mind was internally asking,

_'What if he thinks that we have nothing in common?' _As he continued to speak on the subject, his eyes held hers and he too was internally rambling.

_'I'm more nervous than she is and she has never left the house.' _Her next thoughts swirled, even as she told him,

"I didn't really see you as a Math person."

_'How can he be this cute… and smart?' _

Sam licked his lips. She looked so lovely sitting in her hanging chair. He didn't know what to say to her statement, but in his mind, he was saying,

_'She thinks I'm dumb.' _Eventually, he looked right at her and asked,

"Why not?"

"Because you're in summer school."

_'He thinks I'm dumb.'_

More nervousness attacked Sam. He almost forgot what she said. He crossed his long legs and bounced the one on the ground. Seconds later, his hand was in his hair and he was thinking,

_'I should cut my hair,' _as he replied, "Right. That's because my dad moves around a lot." Mercedes was thinking,

_'His hair could save my life.' _

She stood from her chair, walked over to his side and sat on the opposite end of the couch he was sitting on. His eyes never left her.

A comfortable silence loomed for a few moments. They were both nervous.

Sam un-crossed his legs and she crossed hers. They didn't realize it, but both sat with their arms crossed on their laps. Finally, Mercedes spoke.

"This is an ellipsis." Sam chuckled.

"Does that mean we're having an awkward silence or that you're thinking?"

"Both," she answered.

"What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking that… we should probably agree to be friends."

"I don't think you have that much restraint," he cheekily answered.

"Well, my life is an exercise in restraint… so…" Still in a playful mood, he asked,

"Does this mean I can't look at your lips anymore?"

"No."

"Your dimple?"

"I don't have dimples."

"Your hair?"

"Friends," she said, giggling.

"Ellipsis," Sam replied, as he stood and went to the window.

He looked at the plant life on the outside for few seconds, before he turned to her, placed his hands in his pockets and said,

"You make me want to stay in Los Angeles."

"Then, stay," she said, almost as a whisper.

* * *

She stood then, and turned in his direction. It took Sam a few seconds to realize that she was walking towards him. He drew in a sharp breath, and asked,

"What are you doing?"

"Moving closer to you."

"Is that okay?" he asked, removing his hands from his pockets and placing them behind his back, before they took on a life of their own.

"Yes, it's okay," she replied, her voice almost a whisper and came to a stop a hand length in front of him.

"Okay," he said, making a small step forward.

"I should tell you that we shouldn't push our luck, but I can't. I don't want to," she said.

Sam swallowed hard.

His hands itched to grab her and kiss her senseless. Now that he thought about it, this was surely a lesson in restraint.

He looked at her, holding her gaze and softly asked, "You sure?"

She stepped directly in front of him, looking up into his eyes and whispered, "Yes."

* * *

What happened next was pure spontaneity.

Sam's hands came from behind his back as his body encountered hers and their lips met in the most sensual kiss he's ever had. Fireworks went off in the background, but the two were completely oblivious, to anything, but the other.

His huge hands almost lifted her from the ground, when their lips locked. His thumbs ended up resting on the side of her breasts, unconsciously caressing them, whilst her hands went up to his shoulders and loosely around his neck, finally, making their way into his silky blonde hair.

He felt her go up on her toes, for more leverage, deepening the kiss, and like a thirsty traveler in the desert, he drank his fill.

He pulled her soft body even closer, savoring the feel of it flush against his and wishing that the moment would never end.

After what seemed like minutes, the kiss broke. She looked into his dazed eyes and quietly asked,

"Is it always like that?"

He didn't have to think about his answer. Any other girl that he's kissed before, paled in comparison to her. It was as if his body was attuned to hers and hers alone.

He won 't ever be able to look at another girl or kiss them, without thinking about her. He lost piece of his heart right there and then, and something told him, she had it and was keeping it. It would be safe with her.

"It's never like that," he replied, looking into her eyes. Seconds later, their lips were locked again, in a deep, passionate kiss, where each gave as good as they got.

After a while, they stood looking into each others' eyes and finally, they stood in a loving embrace, with her head resting on his chest, whilst his hands stayed anchored around her waist.

* * *

There were no words to describe what Sam was feeling.

His mind had emptied of everything, even the problems with his family. He placed a soft kiss on her hair and as he lifted his head, he realized that they had missed the fireworks.

In Mercedes' mind, she was floating. She felt warm, happy and at peace.

Her mom, her sickness and the glass prison that surrounded her, were the furthest things from her mind. In Sam's strong arms, she was safe and secure. The only thing that mattered, was, the here and now.

She shifted slightly, putting her arms around his trim waist, snuggling deeper into him.

A contented sigh escaped her and she tightened her grip on him, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat.

_'I like him, I really really like him,'_ she internalized. After that, her pretty face blossomed into a sweet, contented smile.

* * *

**That's it for this chapter. I hope it was worth the read. Much love to you.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello friends, thank you for your continued support for this and my other stories. **

**Standard disclaimer**

* * *

Mercedes was on cloud nine, after being kissed for the first time, by Sam. There were and are, still no words to describe what she's feeling. Tonight was one for the record books. She could still feel her lips tingling, as she got ready for bed. She absent-mindedly did her nightly rituals and turned in for the night. She watched the clock on her nightstand, timing Sam, for when he should be in bed. She was expecting his nightly call, to chat about the events of their day and everything in-between.

* * *

Later, she laid in bed, speaking to Sam on the phone, rather, trying to convince him, she was okay, after their little rendezvous.

"Are you sure you're not sick? That you feel fine?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I feel fine…better than fine actually. I feel perfect," she said.

"Even though we touched?"

"We did."

"We shared the same breath." She giggled.

"We did."

"We kissed."

"Like I said, perfect." She paused, listening to the sound of him breathing on the line. It was perfect. He was perfect. They chatted for a while longer, all about their hopes and dreams and the things they both loved about each other.

"Hey, goodnight." she softly said. There was a slight hesitation from Sam. He didn't want their conversation or their night to end. With an audible exhale, he said,

"Goodnight."

His voice was like a warm blanket, wrapped snugly around her soft body. She laid awake for a while after, listening to the sound of silence and allowing her thoughts to roam, until she drifted into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

**MERCEDES' POV**

I read once, that we change the upper layers of our skin every two weeks, but some of our cells don't renew. They age. And age us. In two weeks, my lips will have no memory of kissing Sam, but my brain will remember.

* * *

Next morning, Mercedes was sitting in her usual spot, in the window space, facing Sam's house, reading a book.

Loud voices caught her attention. It was Sam and his dad, tussling and arguing. She tossed her book to the side and rushed to the other window, as they moved out of her sight.

Sam's father was saying,

"Stay out of it, Sam. Just stay out of it." His words seemed to anger Sam. He started pushing his dad, telling him,

"Stay out of it. How's that? How's that for staying out of it?"

Concern masked Mercedes' face. She can't understand what could've happen, to cause this scene. One more push from Sam, made his father angrily turn and asked,

"Are you kidding me?"

What happened next, told her, whatever it was, it had to be bad, really bad.

Sam punched his dad in the face, and his dad reacted the same, with a punch to Sam's face.

Mercedes didn't wait.

She rushed to the door of her air-locked room, punched in the code and headed to the next door.

* * *

Mrs. Jones was startled when she heard the door being opened.

She got up and decided to investigate. Seeing the room unlocked, she started calling her daughter's name,

"Mercedes?" Mercedes?" No answer.

* * *

Mercedes ran speedily towards Sam, worried to bits.

"Sam!" she shouted, seeing him on the ground.

* * *

Sam staggered to his feet and watched with wide eyes, as Mercedes ran towards him.

His father angrily stomped back towards their house, met by his concerned wife and they both disappeared inside.

"Mercedes?" Sam said, meeting her halfway. Both sets of hands went to the other's face, searching and asking if the other was okay.

"Are you hurt? Are you okay" Mercedes worriedly asked.

"I'm fine. What are you doing? Go back inside." Surprise masked her features, but her mom's presence reminded her of her fragile state.

"Go!" Sam reinforced, as their eyes locked. Just then, her mom grabbed her.

"Mercedes! What are you doing?" her mom forcefully, and angrily asked, tugging her to go back inside. As they entered her locked sanctuary, she pulled away from her mom's grip and turned to her, ready to defend her actions.

"I don't understand. Why would you do that?" her mother asked.

"I'm sorry. I had to make sure he was okay."

"Did you touch anything?"

"No!"

"Did you touch anything?" her mom repeated.

"No. No. It was less than a minute."

"A second is all it takes."

"I'm sorry."

"Why would you risk your life for a total stranger?"

"I'm okay." Realization dawned on Mrs. Jones, as she looked at her only living child, with her head downcast.

"He's not a stranger, is he?" Mercedes didn't know what to say. She's never lied to her mother before. She lifted her head and stuttered out,

"We…we're just friends online." She wasn't a very good liar and her mom picked up on it right away.

"Online…How could you?"

She was rendered speechless at being caught out.

Her mom walked away from her, disappointed for the first time, with her.

* * *

Hours later, Mercedes sat in her window space, looking over at the Evans', trying to catch a glimpse of Sam. She wanted to see him so bad…to see if he was okay.

* * *

**MERCEDES' POV**

My mom is right, four hours soaking in an antiseptic bath, and I could still wake up tomorrow, sick. Four hours trying to remember everything about being in the world. I can't remember any of it. Just Sam yelling at me to go inside.

* * *

Her mom's presence broke her from her thoughts, but she couldn't hide what she was feeling on the inside. Her face told the story. She had very strong feelings for Sam, and she was worried about him.

"I'm sorry Sam is in that situation. No family deserves that," Mrs. Jones said.

"I'm sorry, too."

"Does it look like he's okay?"

"I don't know."

"I could have someone talk to him…and see if he's alright…"

"I don't think he wants anyone to know…he is trying to keep his family together. He doesn't like to talk about everything."

"I knew something was different with you. I should've known what it was, the moment he came offering Bundt cake."

A giggle escaped Mercedes as she recalled that memory. Her mom chuckled too.

"You could've come to me, you know," she told Mercedes.

"I wanted to. I just didn't want to worry you." Her mom inhaled and exhaled slowly.

"What's he like?" A smile stretched over Mercedes' pretty face.

"Well…he wears black…all of the time." Another giggle. "He's not as cynical as he looks."

"He needs a haircut," her mother threw in. Mercedes smiled.

"Yeah, he does. He's kind…we're both really sleep-deprived, from talking instead of sleeping."

She looked directly at her mother, honesty shining in her eyes, and earnestly said,

"But, I'd rather talk to him than sleep. When I talk to him, I feel like...I'm outside. He thinks…that…I'm funny, smart and beautiful…in that order."

She laughed and looked at her mom, to take in her reaction.

Mrs. Jones was young once, and she's still quite a way from being considered old. She knows what it's like to be in love…and her daughter was definitely in love with this boy.

"As he should. He sounds wonderful."

"Yeah, he is."

"I wish you could have more than this," her mother sincerely said.

"I know." She moved to sit beside her mother on her bed.

"I'm sorry," Mrs. Jones started and paused, with a rueful look on her face.

"It's not your fault."

A sigh escaped her mom, as she looked at a picture of her, a very young Mercedes, her late son, and late husband…Mercedes' dad.

"Maui was your dad's favorite place. You were just a few months old, before we knew why you were always sick."

"I wish I could remember them."

"Hmm…maybe it'd be easier if I didn't," Mrs. Jones said, staring blankly at the photo. She turned to her daughter then, and said, "I love you, you know…more than you even know."

Mercedes shook her head slightly.

That was one sure thing in her life. Her mother loved her and was fiercely protective of her. But, the next words from her mom threw her.

"You can't see him again." A bout of panic hit Mercedes and just like that, a lie rolled off her tongue.

"I haven't seen him."

Disappointingly, Mrs. Jones lowered her head, reached into the pocket of the robe she was wearing, pulled out a black rubber band and placed it in her hand.

"Yes, you have."

With that, she rose and walked out, leaving Mercedes sitting and staring at the object. She remembers clearly, how Sam had shot it at the wall on his very first visit there. Why didn't she pick it up? That question and more, played on her mind for the rest of the night, until she fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Mercedes was awakened the next morning by the sound of loud voices in her home.

She got out of bed, grabbing her robe and heading for the stairs.

At the top of the stairs, she could clearly hear her mother quarreling with her nurse Santana, about letting 'strangers' in the house.

Immediately, she thought of Sam. He wasn't a stranger…could never be.

"It's not up to you to decide what she needs…I am her mother."

"You shouldn't be her doctor too…"

"Excuse me?"

"Is she sick? Did something happen?" Santana earnestly asked.

"She went outside because of him…because of you…"

By this time, Mercedes was at the bottom of the stairs, making her way towards them.

"And she's been lying to me for weeks…you have to go…"

Shock and hurt colored Santana's pretty face.

This was practically the first time she has been rendered speechless.

She loved Mercedes as if she were her own blood.

"Please mom, it won't happen again," Mercedes interjected. Sternly her mom replied,

"No it won't. And I'm sorry Santana."

At that, Santana turned away and went to gather her stuff. Her heart was broken. Mercedes wasn't only her patient, she was her cherished friend. She returned and with tears in her eyes, as she hugged her charge goodbye.

"I'm sorry," whispered Mercedes, as she too started to cry.

"I know this is sad for you both...it is sad for me too, but it is time for Santana to leave…now."

As Santana tearfully left, Mercedes looked at her mother with hurt eyes. She was just about to return to her room, when she held her stomach and ran off, barely making it to the sink, before she begun to throw up.

Immediately, her mom was at her side, pulling her hair back.

Minutes later, she lay in bed, with a temperature of one hundred and three, feeling a bit out of sorts.

"We have to wait and see if it goes down…if the fluids and anti-biotics worked," her mum said, as she straightened and tucked a blanket snugly around her.

* * *

Mercedes slept for hours.

Just as evening set in, she awoke and went to her window space, hoping to see Sam.

She was there for all of three seconds, when he appeared in her line of sight, with his back towards her.

* * *

Sam was just about to text Mercedes, when he looked up and saw her.

Immediately, he smiled and pointed at the cell phone in his hand.

He wanted to talk to her, so bad.

She shook her head, indicating she didn't have her phone, which he thought was odd, but, nevertheless, he decided to prod her.

He ran off for a second and came back with a marker and paper, bringing a smile to her sweet face. She watched as he scribbled on the paper and held it up to the window, for her to read.

'_Are you okay?' _And she replied with a nod in the affirmative and a smile on her face. He in turn, smiled with relief. The next paper asked,

_'Internet?'_

And this time, she shook her head from side to side, indicating no. Sam wasn't sure what had happened, but he knew she was in some kind of trouble with her mum.

_'Are you sure you're okay?' _She smiled at his concern and shook her head, yes. _'I'm sorry,' _was the last thing he wrote, and she mouthed,

_'I'm not,' _to him.

He visibly relaxed when she said that.

For the next few minutes, they sat in their individual window spaces and just looked at each other, wishing they could both be with the other, but knowing they couldn't.

* * *

Next morning, Mercedes was met by an older woman, her mother had hired to be her nurse. As she stood in her light blue, off-the-shoulder dress, she had to hand it to her mother.

This stern looking woman would never be her friend, the way Santana was.

"Good morning Mercedes, you may address me as Nurse Janet or Mrs. Pritchard, whichever you prefer."

Mercedes didn't respond. She just stood there.

"Words spoken into the air, tend to go unheeded, words put to paper…do not," the nurse continued.

Mercedes remained silent, as she turned away and went to her computer. She was met with a note stuck to her laptop, saying,

_'Clean room. Clear mind -Nurse Janet.' _With that, she took up a marker, crossed out 'Janet' and angrily wrote 'Ratched' in its place.

In all of the areas Mercedes frequented, there were sticky notes, like,

_'Internet with supervision allowed only between noon and three pm' _and _'You are what you eat.' _She felt as if she was in a boot camp. She couldn't wait for Nurse Ratched to go.

* * *

Later that night, as her mother took her pressure, Mercedes sighed and said,

"I miss Santana."

"Santana almost got you killed…"

"She was my friend…"

"No Mercedes, she was your nurse. She was supposed to keep you safe…not endanger your life, by inviting strangers into the house."

"Sam isn't a stranger."

"He's not yours?"

"What?" Surprised masked her features, wondering what her mother was talking about.

"He's not yours. Maybe he's interested in you now….but…he's out there…and he's going to meet some girl…and he's going to be her Sam. Do you understand me? If Santana was your friend, she would've told you that."

"Love can't kill me, mom."

"That's not true. You were lucky this time."

Mercedes allowed those words to sink in, as she watched her mom walked away. A few minutes later, she was in her room, working on the latest model, for her vast collection.

**MERCEDES POV**

After what my mother said, I started imagining this moment, where Sam would pull up in the driveway. And there's this girl in the truck…and the girl laughs at something he's said…and puts her hand on his arm…and smiles at him the way I smile at him. I feel silly. Why would anyone set themselves up to have a broken heart? He's going to meet someone who isn't sick. Someone who can leave her house...

* * *

Mercedes went back and forth in her mind, about whether to call Sam or not. She really wanted to, but her mother's words rung clear in her head and she believed them. Finally, she settled on texting him instead.

**MERCEDES:** I'm messing up your life.

**SAM:** Pick up!

**MERCEDES:** No!

**SAM:** Pick up!

**MERCEDES:** Sam…

**SAM:** It's not true.

**MERCEDES:** It is! What kind of future could you have with me? I'm trying to protect you.

**SAM:** Protect me? I don't want protection…I want you.

**MERCEDES:** Well, we can't have everything that we want. You're not mine…

**SAM:** What does that mean?

**MERCEDES:** There's gonna be another girl…you'll be her Sam.

**SAM:** There's no other girl and there will be no other girl...just you.

**MERCEDES:** It's not safe. I don't really think when I'm around you.

**SAM:** Thinking is overrated…

**MERCEDES:** This isn't going anywhere.

**SAM:** I don't wanna lose you.

**MERCEDES:** I can't even go outside…what are you really losing?

Before Sam could reply, she'd turned her phone off. He tried calling her, but it just went to voice-mail.

Dejectedly, he shuffled into his bed and for the first time in his life, he cried himself to sleep over a girl.

* * *

He awoke later in the night, with what he believed to be a great idea. One to put a smile on the object of his affection's pretty face.

He quietly exited his room and went to work on his idea.

* * *

Next morning, Mercedes awoke and groggily made her way to her glass room.

The sight before her, not only surprised her, it brought a welcomed smile to her lovely features.

There were tons of pictures of the ocean, and right in the middle of them, was the sweetest note ever. It read,

_'Mercedes, every ocean deserves to be seen by you.' _

She chuckled, but inside, her heart skipped a beat at the sweetness and kindness of Sam.

She took her time and looked at every one of the pictures, imagining herself floating blissfully, as gulls flew overhead on a bright sunny day.

Something sparked within her then.

She had one life to live and she's always lived it in an enclosed glass prison. Something was definitely wrong with that and the onus was on her to do something about it.

_'I need to get out of here…whatever happens…happens.' _

With that thought cemented in her mind, she moved to put her plans in order.

* * *

**I hope this was good enough. This is my busiest time of year...work-wise, so it's quite hard to find the time to update. I will try my best to, though. The next chapter for this is written, but not edited, which I will try to do sometime during this day and the next one after that, is almost finished being written. Thank you and much love to you.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you for your continued support. Only two more chapters left.**

**Standard disclaimer**

* * *

Determination was in every step Mercedes Jones took, as she walked over to her desk and began to write out a note to her mother. It read,

_'Dear Mom, _

_The first thing is, that I love you. You already know that, but…I may not get the chance to tell you again. You are smart and strong and kind and selfless. Because of you, I've survived this long and gotten to know my small part of the world. But…it's not enough. I'm not doing this just because of Sam…or…maybe I am. I found this new part of myself when I met him, and that new part doesn't know how to stay quiet and just observe. Do you remember when we first read '__**Little Prince**__' together? I was so upset that he died in the end. I didn't understand why he could choose death, so that he could get back to his Rose. I think I understand it now. I'm not choosing death, it's that, if I don't go, I won't really know what it's like to be alive. _

_I love you, Mercedes._

* * *

She carefully packed a backpack, with only the important stuff she needed and a change of clothes.

She was doing this…and she needed Sam to come with her...if she could somehow convince him to.

* * *

Her first steps outside for the second time, were tentative and the further she walked, the more liberated she felt.

Her eyes took in the trees, the sky and birds…it all seemed so surreal. Everything looked new and beautiful, as she slowly walked and soaked it all up.

The sound of a dog barking, brought her out of her daytime reverie and she proceeded to message Sam.

* * *

Sam raced through the door, when he got a text from Mercedes, saying she was outside of his house.

He thought his eyes were deceiving him, when he saw her standing there, looking gorgeous and delicious, in her mini-skirt and cropped sweater.

He quickly walked towards her, wondering what in the world could have happened to make her come outside, again.

"Mercedes? What are…."

His words were cut off, when she grabbed him, brought him down to her level and kissed him.

He began to lose himself in the kiss. It was hard not to, but he reigned himself in and got to what was worrying him.

"Hey…are you trying to kill yourself?"

Her innocent eyes melted him and all he wanted to do was, to kiss her again.

He schooled his features and listened to her.

"I've been doing gene therapy."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I didn't wanna tell you, because I didn't want to get your hopes up…I don't wanna get my hopes up."

"Gene therapy?"

By this time, Sam had lowered to her level, looking directly into her eyes, and she into his.

"I was on a trial. Remember how I said that my type of SCID was uncommon."

"Yeah," he said, hope rising for some reason.

"I'm very common now. I can go wherever I want." His smile and little half-laugh showed relief and a glimmer of hope on his face.

"You're…you're not sick anymore?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you."

Sam was in turmoil. He was happy, relieved, but still doubtful…add to that scared…

"No. I don't believe you. Come on. Let's go. Let's go," he said, trying to turn her around and back to her house.

A defiant Mercedes fought him as best she could, and asked him,

"Have I ever lied to you?"

"No."

"Why would I start now?" He let that sink in. Wanting so much for her to be right.

"Look, if you aren't sick, why does it look like you're running away?"

"Because my mom is still worried." His green eyes turned intense, as hope died in them.

"I knew it was to good to be true. Go back inside. Come on," he said, firmly grasping her shoulders.

"No Sam, I have to know."

"Know what?"

"If I'm still sick. And the only way that I'll know, is if I'm outside. Can you...can you come with me?"

"Come with you where?"

"Hawaii. I bought plane tickets." Sam stood to his full height and looked down at her.

"How?"

"Credit cards are surprisingly easy to get."

"You're serious?" She nodded her head yes. He laughed. He couldn't believe it…or her. His sweet Mercedes was a rebel in disguise.

"What's wrong with southern California?" he asked. She smiled widely, showing her pearly whites. Sam couldn't deny her, even if he wanted to. "Stay here, alright?

Stay here," he said and turned to go back inside.

* * *

Mercedes waited with bated breath for Sam to return.

It felt like forever since he went inside, but it was only just a few minutes.

She wanted to be away as soon as possible, before her mom returned.

Just then, her knight in shining armor appeared, with a backpack strapped to his back and the keys to his truck.

He cheekily smiled, as she went to the passenger door and tried pulling it open. Walking quietly behind her, he pressed the button and startled her. He wanted to laugh, but helped her in, instead.

A sweet smile remained on his face the whole time, as he watched her settle in.

Presently, he entered the driver's side and helped her buckled up.

As he started the vehicle, he saw her starting to roll her window down. In a flash, he had the button pressed and the window back up.

The surprise look on her face spoke volumes. He leaned over, softly kissed her and said,

"Just…try not to breathe."

Her smile triggered one of his own. As they drove off, neither spared a thought for, or looked back at their respective homes.

* * *

On the road, Sam called his sister and asked for her help in covering for him, whilst Mercedes took in her unknown neighborhood and its environs.

She has never seen it before.

Everything was new and fresh to her, and she soaked it all up.

* * *

Sam was amazed at the look of fascination on Mercedes' face.

It was her first time seeing everything up this close.

Vehicles, houses, people, even the traffic lights caught her attention.

He secretly smiled, watching her every few seconds and was almost caught doing it.

"We're going really fast," she said.

"I'm going thirty." His smile undid her. For some reason she felt safe with him.

"Is that fast?" she asked.

"No."

"Can we go faster?"

Just like before, Sam couldn't deny her. He obliged her, and gently accelerated, taking glances at her beautiful face, frozen in a happy smile.

* * *

Back at Mercedes' home, her mom had returned from work and went to freshen up, before she visited her.

As Mrs. Jones knocked and entered her daughter's room, calling out for her, she realized she wasn't in there.

Her eyes were drawn to an envelope, on the bench at the end of the bed. She picked it up with trembling hands, and read it...knowing deep down, what it would say.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sam and Mercedes were boarding a plane to Hawaii.

He was very attentive to her. He helped her to take her backpack off and found a secure place overhead, to put both away...his and hers.

Giving her the window seat, he sat down next to her and helped her to buckle her seatbelt.

"How're you feeling?" he asked, a bit worried.

"Terrified," she said, and a nervous laugh escaped her…him too.

He gently grabbed her hand and interlocked their fingers, feeling her relax, just as the flight took off.

* * *

They landed effortlessly a while later and as they walked down the plane steps, Sam's concern for her grew.

"Are you okay?" he asked, gently holding her by the elbow. She nodded her head and gave him her special smile. "This is crazy," he sing-songed.

They were met at the foot of the stairs, by a young lady, who said, "Aloha," and placed a Lei around each of their necks.

"Don't die," Sam said, taking her hand.

"I'll try not to."

They headed for the nearest car rental and hired out a soft top jeep. Minutes later, they were on the road, giggling and having fun.

* * *

Mercedes' eyes widened at the sight of the ocean, so close to her. It was enlightening and exhilarating all at once.

As they drove along, she and Sam stole glances at each other and forgot about the cares of their life. This was their reality, here and now.

* * *

After a long scenic drive, they pulled into a private beach facility and checked into their little beach cottage.

Both were amazed at its beauty and its intimate setting. Sam most of all, especially when he realized there was only one bed.

He stood at the end of it, slightly intimidated by it and all that it could mean.

He looked at Mercedes, and her blank expression didn't do anything to calm his emotions.

"Big bed," he said and quickly moved away to the terrace overlooking the beach.

Out there, he nervously placed both hands on his head and stared out at the ocean.

Seconds later, he turned to see what Mercedes was doing and noticed a big bowl of fruit on a table, close to him.

"I found food," he said, using his hand to indicate. He bent and took up a grape and popped it into his mouth.

He swallowed hard, when he saw her approaching him.

_'Oh man. She's got some steppers on her. I would do anything to feel those wrapped around me…' _His thoughts were interrupted by her saying,

"That's very resourceful."

"Hmm," he said, stuffing his mouth again, to keep from blurting the thoughts on his mind.

"I wanna go in the water. I wanna see a humma-humma-nuku-nuku-apua'a."

"A what?"

"The Hawaiian state fish," she said, putting a grape in her mouth. She turned away, heading back to the bedroom. "Say it," she told him.

"You're setting me up to fail."

A huge smile lit up his face as he followed her to the room. His eyes went straight to her behind. It was dangerous to walk behind her, he surmised.

* * *

Back in Mercedes' neighborhood, a police car was just pulling away from her residence.

Her mom had called them and was standing outside her driveway, watching them leave.

There was nothing they could do to help her. Her daughter was of age to do, almost anything, they had told her.

Just then, Sam's sister came walking up, heading to her parents' home. Mrs. Jones took that opportunity to approach her and fired questions at her.

"Where's your brother?" Stacy was caught off-guard. She kept her head low and lied through her teeth.

"Ah…summer school."

"I don't think that's true." The worst thing Stacy did, was to look at her. She melted and decided to give a little.

"I don't know where they are."

"I'm asking you for your help. Where's Mercedes?" Stacy shook her head from side to side and said,

"I honestly don't know, Sorry."

"She's very sick...she could..."

"Sorry." She turned away and left Mrs. Jones to do the same.

* * *

Back in Hawaii, Sam and Mercedes went to a little shop, for her to get a swimsuit and some other things to wear.

He left her alone to browse the clothes racks, while he browsed the glass cases, looking at sunglasses.

He looked up just in time, to see Mercedes entering a dressing room, with something red in her hand. His heart rate sped up, for no apparent reason.

He slowly walked to the dressing room and called for her.

"Mercedes?"

She had just finished putting on the swimsuit of choice and pulled the curtain open.

Sam went speechless.

His heart went wild and started beating erratically.

His lips went dry.

He swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat and then...he found his voice.

"You…you're in a swimsuit…" Her smile was electric.

"Yeah, I am." His eyes went to her ample chest and he quickly lowered his head.

"It's…uhmm…it's…"

"Small," she said, adjusting it.

"Ah...yes...it's small...It's...small," he copied, with a big smile on his face, still swallowing hard.

A little awkwardness ensued, between both. He rubbed the back of his neck and said,

"I'll just be out here," and she said,

"Yeah, okay," and quickly pulled the curtain closed again.

Sam just stood there for a few seconds, feeling his body coming alive.

He dashed from the store and waited outside, hoping something out there would distract him.

Less than half-an-hour later, he was clad in shorts only and she, in the red swimsuit, walking hand-in-hand into the water.

* * *

It was a comical moment, when Mercedes first saw Sam take his shirt off.

Her eyes bugged out of her head and her mouth dropped open.

Parts of her, she didn't know had feelings, came alive and all she wanted to do was, to run her hands all over his perfectly sculpted chest.

Sam wanted to laugh so bad, but he knew she'd be embarrassed if he did.

He'd calmly walked up to her, kissed her opened mouth and softly told her,

"I could get used to the way you look at me."

* * *

Currently, they were having fun, frolicking in the water, although Sam was keeping a close eye on her.

He showed her how to hold her nose and duck under the water and she did it perfectly.

Once again, his heart began to beat wildly, as she lay in arms, while he showed her how to lay-float.

It took everything within him, to peel his eyes from her bosom, and keep his mind on the task of showing her what to do.

As she lay floating in his arms with her eyes closed and the sun shining beautifully on her, he couldn't resist kissing her, bringing a sweet smile to her face.

His hands moved from her back, down to her bum, as he released his hold on her, allowing her to float on her own, and right away, his manhood twitched in his shorts.

It was, as if, he had no control over his body, whenever he was around her. He decided to leave her alone for a few seconds, to calm his body, while she lost herself in the feel of the water and outside in general.

* * *

A while later, a naughty smile blossomed on his face, as he watched her float.

He dived under the water, came up beside her and gently took her in his arms. She was startled, but smiled his special smile for him.

Once again, Sam claimed her lips in a sensual kiss and then, just as she expected more, he ducked both under the water, surprising her.

He then dived around her, swam between her legs and stood with her on his shoulders, surprising her again.

Mercedes laughed.

She wanted to protest, but in all honesty, this is the most fun she's ever had in her life.

There would be so much to tell Blaine…if she makes it…that is. She decided to throw her sorrow into the very ocean she was in and have fun, with the guy she was crazy about.

They finished their water experience, snorkeling, and she got her wish, to see the humma-humma-nuku-nuku-apua'a, swimming right in front of her very eyes.

* * *

On the beach, she was floored for the umpteenth time, at Sam's attentiveness to her.

He took a towel and wrapped her snugly in it, creating a little heat in her body. An automatic smile bloomed on her face, as she stared into his pretty green eyes, seeing her feelings mirrored there.

Their little staring contest was broken, by the sound of voices on the other side of the beach.

People were over there on a cliff, jumping off into the water below.

Immediately, Mercedes threw off the towel, taking Sam by surprise and started heading that way.

* * *

Minutes later, they found themselves on the precipice, looking into the water below. Sam looked at her, taking her hand.

"Together?" he asked.

"You know what? Ah…" He could feel nervousness rolling off her, but he knew it was something she wanted to do.

"I'll go first, okay?"

"Yeah, you go first." He kissed her lips, said,

"See you at the bottom," and jumped.

As he surfaced, he raised his arms in the air and shouted, "Whoa!" bringing a chuckle from her and showing her, there was no harm in doing it…thus boosting her confidence, also putting her at ease.

Seconds later, Mercedes decided to just go for it.

She closed her eyes for a beat and then jumped.

The minute she did and surfaced, Sam swam to her and took her into his strong arms. He brought one hand up and smoothed her hair back from her eyes, and planted a loud kiss to her lips.

They stayed for a while longer and then made their way back to the jeep, to head back to their little beach hut.

* * *

**That's it for this chapter. I hope it was good enough. Much love to you.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you for your continued support. Just one more chapter after this.**

**Standard disclaimer**

* * *

Mercedes' day in the water was a magical one.

She enjoyed it to the fullest.

Sam had to be the sweetest guy ever. The way he cared for her, helping her do simple things, never ceased to floor her.

They were now on their way back to their little hut, after packing it in for the day.

* * *

As she pulled her hair into a side ponytail, Sam couldn't help, but to steal glances at her.

Everything felt as if it was a dream and he didn't want to wake from it, anytime soon.

He started to sing along with the song that was playing on the radio, and was blown away by the sound of her voice, as she too started to sing.

All in all, they both surprised each other, knowing the other could sing and the sweet harmony they created, as their voices blended together.

* * *

They stopped along the way, by a beach, just watching the surf pound the shore.

She was nestled comfortably in Sam's side, and he, had his arm draped over her shoulder with their fingers interlocked. They were the epitome of a young couple in love.

For a few cherished moments, they walked along the beach, with his arm around her, and even played silly games, but the best part was, the kisses they shared.

Some were soft and sweet and some were definitely heated.

As the sky darkened, the two lovebirds left that beach and headed for the one in front of their hut.

* * *

Back on their beach, Sam lit candles in small pots, creating a romantic atmosphere and the two of them sat, chatting about anything and everything.

The subject landed on family and Mercedes began to talk about her late dad and older brother. She was saying,

"It's strange, because I don't even remember them. I think it's weird to miss something you never had…or you don't remember having."

"It's not so weird," Sam threw in.

"We came here…before they died…and before I got sick, although I was too young to remember. "

"You're not sick now." She nodded and her face turned serious.

"Why would you move?" she asked, abruptly changing the subject, as she recalled an earlier conversation between the two of them.

"You've asked me that already."

"Yeah, but you never answered me." Sam chose his words wisely.

"My dad used to be...not good at staying employed. And now he is, he works all the time and my mom feels trapped. I don't understand why she won't leave him…not leave, leave…I mean, just let him be. They're constantly arguing…like the last time...she slapped him and he…pushed her. He was sorry…but…unfortunately, my brain got that message too late. That's why I pushed him…until he…"

"Shh, Sam. I get it. Have you asked her?"

"Yeah, but she won't talk about it. She used to say…you'd understand when you get older…and…when you have your own relationships."

His eyes went to hers and held them, as he continued to speak.

"She says, love makes people crazy."

"Do you believe that?"

"Do you?"

"Well…I'm here in Hawaii with you…so, I guess so." Sam smiled.

"Are you saying you're in love with me?" Mercedes realized her mistake then, and started to backtrack.

"No…no…I'm just saying…I never would have left my house, if it weren't for you."

She was fibbing.

It was written all over her face.

He knew she was in love with him.

He looked up at her, as she stood facing him,

"I love you," he softly said and moved to stand directly in front of her.

* * *

Mercedes was at a loss for words.

She saw it in his eyes, as he looked down at her.

She swallowed hard.

There was no use in denying what she felt for him, not after his declaration.

"I…I loved you before I knew you," she said.

Sam's intense stare held her captive.

It was as if he was reading her soul.

His eyes turned glossy for a moment, and then he lowered his head, placing the softest, sweetest kiss to her lips.

They stayed that way for a while, softly kissing, enjoying these moments together.

After a while, they decided to call it a night. They extinguished the candles and headed inside.

* * *

Inside the room, an awkward tension arose, when they had finished their nightly rituals, because, now it was time for bed.

Sam went over to the left side of the bed and said,

"This is my side…this is my…I like to sleep on the left."

Mercedes just stood there smiling.

He was so cute, and his hand movements were the funniest ever.

He nervously rubbed the back of his neck and sat on the bed, all the way up, until his back was touching the headboard.

Mercedes on the other hand, flopped onto the bed, on her side, and brought her legs up.

She was extremely nervous for some reason. She started playing with the sheet, secretly eyeing Sam, from the corners of her eyes.

Sam too, was a mess, he watched her every movement, reading each one as it happened.

The moment she got up from the bed, and started to undo her hair, he sat forward, with his eyes glued to her.

He felt a pull towards her, and his feet took on a life of their own.

Within seconds, he found himself behind her, unzipping her dress.

His heart pounded wildly in his chest, with every patch of skin he exposed, but he was powerless to stop himself.

He started planting kisses all over her shoulders, her neck and her back. He felt her body shiver, and a small smile appeared on his lips.

The dress dropped to the floor and he bit his lip and closed his eyes.

A hiss left his lips seconds later and he was sure she could hear his heart beating, as loudly as he could hear it.

His hands moved around her body and he felt her shiver again.

He stepped closer, knowing she would feel the evidence of his desire poking her, but again, he was powerless to stop himself.

The moment his huge hands closed over her breasts, something snapped in him.

He lowered his height, brought her flush to him, so that, her more than ample bum, was resting directly onto his hard member.

"Dear God!" he ground out. And then, "Mercedes? See what you do to me?" He whispered hotly in her ear.

* * *

Mercedes herself was lost.

Her body was present, but her mind was absent.

If someone asked her to explain what she was feeling, she wouldn't be able to do it.

There were so many emotions running through her system.

But there was one thing that stood clear in her mind…there was something right about this moment in time…everything felt right and connected.

She would go all the way with Sam, and then some.

She felt herself being turned around and she complied.

Sam's lips descended on hers in a searing kiss, igniting dormant feelings.

He was like a thirsty traveler. And she allowed him to drink his fill, while his hands roamed her body, possessively.

She felt herself being walked the few steps to the bed and then being gently laid out on it.

At this time, she was only in her underwear, minus her bra.

Her eyes snapped to Sam, as she unabashedly watched him undress.

Her breath caught in her throat, the moment he was down to his boxers, and small bout of fear seized her, when she saw the huge bulge at the front.

Her eyes went back to his and the love and kindness there, floored her.

Sam loved her.

He said it and she saw it.

He would never intentionally hurt her.

* * *

Sam was a ball of nerves.

The flash of fear he saw on Mercedes' face, threw him.

This couldn't be easy for her…for him either, but giving her peace of mind was paramount.

He wasn't that experienced.

In his nineteen years, he's had sex twice…this was different…he had a passing fancy for those girls, but Mercedes, was the one he loved. This wouldn't be classified as having sex…this was making love.

He decided to leave his boxers on, to put her at ease.

He needed to take his time and take care of her, for sure.

* * *

He slowly lowered himself on top of her, keeping his eyes on hers all the while.

Tentatively, he touched his lips to hers and felt her respond in kind.

He gently broke the kiss and raised up on his elbows to look at her.

"You are so beautiful, you know that?" he asked, and her face flushed. Her small smile told him she didn't believe him.

"I see you don't believe me. So…I'll just show you how beautiful you are."

He kissed her forehead, both her eyes, both cheeks, her nose, her chin and then her lips.

He groaned into the kiss and a soft moan escaped her. This added fuel to his fire. He began to taste her deeply, pulling her tongue into his mouth and sucking on it.

He did that until he was satisfied and then allowed her to do the same to him.

* * *

After a while, he reluctantly left her lips and moved to her neck.

He spent a while there, knowing he would leave marks, but at this point, he didn't care.

In his mind, she was his.

He looked up for a moment, catching a glimpse of her passion-filled eyes and it spurred him on.

He placed a scorching kiss on each breast and said to her,

"You should have these insured…they're just that beautiful and precious."

A serene smile graced her features, and she tried to hide her face with a pillow.

Sam was having none of it. He snatched the pillow from her hands and threw it across the room.

He wagged a finger at her and shook his head from side to side.

After a few more soft kisses to her breasts, he drew one into his mouth and gently suckled it.

* * *

Mercedes almost flew from the bed, but Sam's weight held her in place.

"Oh God…" she moaned. Her eyes felt as though they had rolled to the back of her head.

Sam had the most amazing mouth ever.

He went back to her lips, kissing and nibbling.

He rolled them, so that both were on their sides and then, he gripped her bum, kneading it, in his huge hands, loving the feel of it.

He broke the kiss, and gently slapped her bum, making her open her eyes.

After a soft peck, he said,

"Now this…this is in the top three of my favorite things about you." Her eyes held a question and he answered it.

"Your eyes are number one…they show me everything you are feeling. Your lips are number two…they are the sweetest things I've ever tasted and I can't get enough of them. Now, we come to number three…your ass…I've never seen one like it and I'm an ass-man. It's firm, yet soft and all I want to do…is hump it or bite it…"

* * *

A loud guffaw from her, stopped him.

His face went beet red.

He lowered his face to her breasts in embarrassment.

"Sam," she started, gently lifting his head. "You're very sweet…and cute, you know that?"

Further coloring from Sam. The tips of his ears were even redder than his face.

"Thank you for being honest with me," she finished.

At that, she kissed him hard and he allowed her to ravish his lips.

He rolled them again, back to where he was lying on top of her.

The kiss heated and both grew needy.

She started pushing his boxers down and he broke the kiss to help her.

Completely naked now, Sam placed a kiss on her still clad womanhood and begun to pull her undies down.

He was such a gentleman, while he threw his underwear to the ground, he folded hers and placed it under the pillow she was laying on. And Mercedes' heart melted at his actions.

She reached for him and he came to her, laying on top of her again.

He felt her shift and he found himself laying between her parted legs.

His heart went wild for the umpteenth time that night.

Mercedes placed the softest kiss on his nose and smiled at him.

"Are you ready?" he asked and then, "Shit! I need to get…"

"You don't have to…get…anything." The puzzled look on his face prompted her to continue. "I'm protected. Santana…my former nurse, got some...for me...when I first met you. She said what my mother didn't know, won't hurt her.

* * *

Relief flooded Sam.

"Thank you Santana. Hey, just so you know…I'm as clean as a whistle. I've only been with…" She cut him off with a kiss.

"I trust you, Sam. I don't need to know." If it was possible to love her more in that moment, he did.

"Both times I wore protection, but thank you for trusting me, anyway."

* * *

Once again, she attacked his lips, pouring her feelings into the kiss.

Sam gave as good as he got.

Breathlessly, he panted,

"Ready?"

A small nod was her only indication.

Ever the consummate gentleman, Sam painstakingly took his time, and entered her, until he felt her barrier snapped.

He waited until she was ready, kissing her tears away and whispering sweet words of comfort to her.

* * *

His first movements were experimental. He was trying his best not to cause her any more pain or discomfort.

He kept a slow pace, until he felt her responding, by arching her back and gripping his.

He lifted his dazed eyes to hers, silently asking her a question.

She smiled and nodded.

He responded by dropping his hips and moving faster.

* * *

Sam took Mercedes to heights she'd never thought possible to reach.

He was tender when he needed to be and passionate when he needed to be.

His name left her lips, over and over and never sounded sweeter to him.

* * *

As he watched her unravel beneath him, her nails digging into his back, he felt he could die a happy man in that moment.

Feeling his own release creep up on him, he hunched his back and drove deeper into her, pinning her to the bed.

He wanted to slow his thrusts, to make it last longer, but he couldn't. His hips had a mind of their own. They snapped and went into overdrive.

The moment he let go and released, he cried out her name, long and low, then collapsed on her, sweaty and thoroughly spent.

They laid like that for a while, until Sam felt he was weighing her down and shifted beside her.

Neither knew when the other had fallen asleep, but they awoke the next morning, wrapped in each other's arms with contented looks on their faces.

* * *

After morning rituals, they decided to have a light breakfast and head to the beach.

Sam was in his signature black tee and black shorts, whilst Mercedes wore a bra and panties, under his shirt, he wore the night before.

They hadn't talked about their first time together yet, but both had queries for the other.

* * *

As Mercedes stood by the sink, looking into the mirror and buttoning a few more buttons on the shirt, she thought about her first sexual experience.

She didn't look any different, she thought, neither did she feel any different…except for being sore in her nether regions.

Just as her thoughts drifted to the size of Sam's manhood, she felt an odd feeling come over her.

She started to feel weak and hot at the same time.

Somewhere behind her, Sam's voice was calling her name, but she couldn't answer.

A sharp pain ripped through her stomach and she started shaking.

Just as her knees buckled, Sam's strong arms caught her and eased her to the ground.

She could hear the worry in his voice, as he frantically called out her name.

The last thing she remembered hearing him say was,

"You're burning up. Mercedes! Mercedes! Can you hear me…." Then everything went wonky.

Sam's voice sounded so far away.

She couldn't focus.

Scenes of her laying in his arms in the water and of them frolicking on the beach, flashed before her eyes.

She tried to hold on to the memories, but each one slipped from her grasp.

* * *

She awoke in a hospital, with tubes and wires attached to her body and her first thoughts went to Sam. Where was he? Why didn't he stay?

She tried to sit up, finding it hard to do so.

Her mom's voice telling her,

"No, no, no, no. Lay down," stopped her. And she did as told.

When did she get here? Where was here? Is this still Hawaii? Internally, she questioned herself, but had no answers.

"Lay down, honey. Lay down," her mother said and sat beside her.

She turned her head to her mother and asked,

"Am I okay?"

"You're going to be."

They sat quietly for a while, until her mother went in search of the doctor attending, to ask a few questions.

* * *

Mercedes laid there, alone, wondering about Sam, hoping he was alright and wishing with all her heart, to see him.

* * *

**That's it for this chapter. Hope it was good enough. Until next time, much love to you.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you for your continued support. This is the final chapter in this story.**

**Standard disclaimer**

* * *

Mercedes spent a few days in a Hawaiian hospital and was told about what had happened to her. In all that time, there was no word from Sam, and she felt sad.

* * *

**MERCEDES POV**

My heart stopped. Then it started again. When I woke up, Sam was gone. I have so many questions. Why, being the biggest one.

* * *

Currently, Mercedes was back at home, in her own bed, feeling much better.

She picked up her laptop and opened it. She was bombarded with questions from Sam. He wanted to know many things, and of course, if she was okay. She decided to text him.

* * *

**SAM: **Are you okay?

**MERCEDES: **Yes, I am.

**SAM: **Are you sure you're okay?

**MERCEDES: **Yes. I'm okay Sam.

**SAM: **It's nice to be able to talk to you again. I tried to visit, but your mom wouldn't let me.

**MERCEDES: **Yeah…I'm…I'm sorry I put you through all that…I can't do this anymore.

**SAM: **Can't do what?

**MERCEDES: **No more texts…no more emails…Sam, it's just too hard. My mom was right. Life was better before.

**SAM: **Better for who?

**MERCEDES: **Ellipses.

**SAM: **Don't do this Mercedes.

**MERCEDES: **Ellipses.

**SAM: **My life…is better with you in it…

**MERCEDES: **But mine isn't.

**SAM: **I lied before…

**MERCEDES: **About what?

**SAM: **I do feel sorry for you.

There was no answer from her. Only a message saying,

_'Mercedes has logged out,' _popped up.

* * *

Sam was a mess.

He threw his phone across the room and pummeled his pillow, until he was spent.

Mercedes too, wasn't faring well. She was heartbroken.

The reality of what she had said and done, hit her like a ton of bricks. She searched Sam's window space, looking for a glimpse of him, but he never showed.

Fat tears rolled down her face, at the loss of the man she loved.

She abandoned her laptop and dashed to her bed, to cry her heart out.

* * *

Hours later, she was still in space, as she sat atop the kitchen counter and idly watched her mother put dishes in the sink. She'd hardly touched her dinner.

"Tomorrow, I'm back at the hospital," her mother voiced.

"Did you find me a good babysitter?" Mercedes asked. Mrs. Jones turned, sizing her up.

"Actually, I've been thinking, you don't need a nurse. You've learned a tough lesson and I don't think you'll be repeating it."

"No."

"Good," her mother said, as she took her hand and gently squeezed it, just before returning to the dishes in the sink.

* * *

Later on, Mercedes found herself laying on her bed, listening to music and checking her mail on her laptop.

There was a message from Blaine, one from Santana and of course Sam.

She read all except for his, but could clearly see what it was about, or so she thought. It read,

_'Please Mercedes. I wish you would talk to me.' _

She simply deleted it and turned up the volume on her earphones.

* * *

About an hour later, she was sitting, taking her vitals, when she heard a strange noise. She got up to investigate.

She was drawn to the window facing Sam's house and what she saw, shocked her.

Sam's mother was putting luggage in his truck and lots of other stuff. They were leaving. He was leaving. She flew to her computer and pulled up Sam's deleted message.

It was way longer than she'd originally thought. It read,

_'I wish you'd talk to me. I'll never meet anyone like you, Mercedes. You look at the ocean like it was meant for you. You jump off cliffs even though you can't swim. You believe you can find the meaning of life in a book. You have no vices…You should really get some. I'm trying not to love you, Mercedes…I'm not doing so well. How am I supposed to love anyone else, now? My mom's decided she can't take it anymore. She thinks her and my dad needs space. We're leaving tonight, while my dad is still at work. My mom wants to do it then, because she's afraid she won't be able to do it, if he's right in front of her. They still love each other…I'm happy about that…it gives me hope. I finally told her about you. She thinks you're brave. Being with you made me brave. This is my last email…I'm moving back to New York. I love you...always.' _

As she read it, her eyes watered.

A noise on the outside caused her to run to the window.

Sam was standing on the driver's side, looking up at her window. As usual, he was dressed in black. He looked so handsome. He just stood there, staring at her as if imprinting her features into his memory.

In that moment, there were so many things Mercedes wanted to say to him, but it was too late.

She helplessly watched, as he got into the truck, started up and drove off.

Her eyes remained on the empty space where the truck had been, for a few minutes more, and that is when it sunk in. Sam was gone. There's a chance she would never see him again.

Silent tears ran down her face, as she turned away from the window.

Her life will never be the same again.

* * *

After having a good cry, Mercedes decided to lose herself, working on her latest model.

* * *

Later that night, time seemed to stand still.

It was no use going to her window space, she couldn't bear to. She sat on the floor of her room, idly playing with an astronaut, her favorite model character, as thoughts ran rampant through her mind.

She didn't sleep that night.

Morning found her sitting, looking through the window at the street below, where she first saw Sam.

* * *

She was distracted by her phone vibrating on the desk behind her.

"Hello," she spoke into the line.

"Mercedes Jones?" the caller asked.

"Yes."

"Hi. This is Doctor Melissa Francis from Maui Memorial Hospital. I was your attending physician, while you were here. I'm just following up on your lab results. Your Myocarditis was caused by a viral infection. You seem to have a very weak immune system."

"Well, I have SCID."

"SCID? Really? Why would you think that?" A puzzled look masked Mercedes' features.

"I've had it since I was a baby."

"Uh…I don't know. If you had that kind of severe immune deficiency, you probably would've suffered more than Myocarditis."

The doctor finished her call and Mercedes went crazy.

* * *

She fled to her computer, researching every piece of information she could find about SCID and Myocarditis.

Her fingers flew over the keyboard.

She spent hours, upon hours, searching and researching everything she possibly could. Finally, she decided to search the files her mother kept in a drawer at home.

Finding nothing there, she searched filing cabinets and other places her mother kept records and files, until she found what she was looking for.

She perused each page, with tears in her eyes, horrified at what she was seeing. There wasn't anything there to substantiate or show anything, concerning her sickness.

* * *

Just then her mother came home and saw her on the floor, with a file opened in front of her and papers strewn all around.

"What's going on?" Mrs. Jones asked. With tearful eyes, Mercedes looked up at her and asked,

"Am I sick?"

"What?"

"Am I sick," she repeated, this time more forcefully. Mrs. Jones ran to her daughter, running her hand over her face and forehead. Finally, she held her chin and asked,

"Do you feel sick?" Mercedes removed her mother's hand from her face, eased backwards and said,

"That's not what I mean." Mrs. Jones was taken aback. She wasn't sure how to respond. "Do you remember meeting a Dr. Francis in Maui?"

"I met lots of doctors in Maui. Why?"

"She doesn't think I have SCID."

"And she got your hopes up…didn't she? It was irresponsible…of her…to do that. SCID is so rare and so complicated. Not everyone understands it…they're just…too many types. And every person reacts differently. You get that, don't you?" she finished, and stroked Mercedes' cheek. Mercedes nodded.

"That's what you've always told me."

"Well, you just saw it for yourself. You were fine for little while…and then you almost died in that emergency room…immune systems are very complicated…and Dr. Francis doesn't know your full medical history, she's just looking at a tiny fraction. She hasn't been here the whole time like I have."

Anger rose in Mrs. Jones' voice, as she tried to make her daughter understand what she was saying.

Mercedes stared at her mother the entire time.

Something didn't feel right.

There was fear in her mother's eyes, and she wanted to explore it.

"Where are the papers mom?"

"What…what're you talking about?" The fear in her eyes intensified to panic.

"You have records for everything. But you have nothing about SCID. Where are the papers?"

"Well…they…they…they must be here…because…I keep…I keep everything," Mrs. Jones stuttered out, as she picked up the scattered papers off the floor.

"Did you…did you take them?" she foolishly asked, trying to throw her daughter off. "The papers?" she finished.

It was then that Mercedes knew what that fear was about.

Dr. Francis was right.

She didn't have SCID.

Her mother was a liar.

She ran from the room in tears. She couldn't bear to look at her mother any longer.

"Mer…Mercedes? Mercedes?" Mrs. Jones called, knowing the game was up. She dashed from the room in search of her daughter.

* * *

Mercedes ran right through the house, up to the lock-code and opened the door.

Her mother caught up with her, just as she stepped outside. Her stomach had begun to feel queasy and she remembered what Dr. Francis said about her immune system.

"Mercedes what are you doing? Are you okay? Come inside," her mother said, grasping her hand.

"Why? Why do I have to go inside, mom?"

"Because you're sick baby. You're sick." Mercedes shook her head from side to side.

"No. I'm not."

"Mercedes, please. Please."

"I'm not going back inside."

"You have to. You're all I have left. I can't lose you. Please."

"Have I ever been sick?" Mrs. Jones couldn't answer. The only thing she said, was,

"Come inside."

* * *

Mercedes' heart felt as though it had dropped clean out of her stomach.

She pulled her hands free of her mom and started backing up.

A sob escaped her, and the only thing left to do, was run.

Mrs. Jones took off behind her daughter, calling after her.

"Mercedes! Don't do this. Mercedes! Mercedes!"

She watched as her daughter disappeared down the street, and around the corner. And she fell to the ground sobbing. She had lost her only child.

* * *

The first thing Mercedes did, when she had composed herself, was, ask a shopkeeper to use his phone to call Santana.

In a matter of minutes, Santana arrived at the shop and picked her up.

* * *

As Santana questioned her former charge, about what had happened, Mercedes remained silent, with tears flowing from her eyes.

Santana's heart went out to her.

She decided to let her be and just take her home with her.

* * *

Back home now, Santana and her girlfriend Brittany, flanked Mercedes on either side, and watched television with her.

They made her feel comfortable and decided not to push her. They tracked down Blaine for her and left her to chat with him in private.

* * *

Next day, Mercedes asked Santana to take her to a free clinic, to have a few tests done.

Hours later, she sat in a doctor's office listening to what his findings were.

"We're not sure about the state of your immune system. We think it's possible that…it's under-developed…like an infant's. It hasn't been exposed to common viruses or bacterial infections. You don't have SCID." Mercedes' eyes watered. Eighteen years, living inside...why?

"Why did I get sick in Hawaii?"

"Well, normal healthy people get sick all the time."

Hearing the doctor tell her these things, brought relief, but it also cemented for her, the person she trusted most in her life, has been lying to her for years…her entire existence.

* * *

Returning to Santana's, after talking to the doctor, Mercedes was met with the sight of her mother, sitting on the steps, waiting for her.

Schooling her features, she walked calmly up to her, with the intention of not saying anything to her.

Her mother met her before she got to the steps, with a bag she took from beside her and smiled at her.

"I brought you a few of your things." She placed the bag on the ground between them and nervously looked at her daughter.

"I'm only taking them because I want you to leave." Mrs. Jones felt as though she was physically slapped. Tears welled in her eyes.

"Right after your dad and your brother died, you got so sick. You wouldn't breathe right…and I took you to the emergency room. And we had to stay for three days…and they couldn't figure out what was wrong with you. They said it was probably some kind of allergy…and they…they gave me a list of things to stay away from. I was…I was so sure it was something else…"

Both were crying at this point.

Mrs. Jones stepped around the bag and ran her hands up and down Mercedes' arms.

"I love you, Mercedes," she said and embraced her. Mercedes returned the hug, but her mind was on Sam. She said,

"I hope he still loves me."

"I'm so sorry."

Mrs. Jones pulled back, tears flowing freely now. She stroked Mercedes' cheek, kissed it and left.

* * *

**MERCEDES POV**

The universe already took my dad and brother away from my mom.

She was afraid to lose me too, so she made herself believe that I was sick.

I can understand how she felt…almost.

I'm trying to.

My mother loved my father. He was the love of her life.

And she loved my brother…he was the love of her life.

And she loves me…I am the love of her life.

I want to forgive her, but…right now…all I can think about, is everything I've missed.

I've been trying to find the single moment, that set my life on its path.

Maybe there's a version of my life, where I'm sick.

A version where I died in Hawaii.

Another where my brother and father are still alive…and my mother is not broken.

There's even a version of my life without Sam in it.

* * *

For the next few days, while Mercedes' mother reached out to Santana, Mercedes began to put her life in order.

She was still staying with Santana and Brittany, so she decided to level with them about her plans.

A few times a day, she found herself on the phone with her best friend Blaine, who told her of seeing Sam, for the first time since he returned.

In his words, Sam was devastated. He kept a low profile and spent most of his time at home. The only other place he seemed to frequent, was a bookshop close to his home.

Mercedes did her best to explain to him, what happened between Sam and her and what happened between her and her mother.

All in all, she relayed her hopes that Sam still loved her and before their conversation was over, she stated she would be coming to New York, to get him back.

Right away, Blaine offered her a place to stay.

He and Kurt had a huge apartment and she would be welcomed there.

After saying goodbye, she gathered the few things she needed, packed them and decided to book the earliest flight out.

* * *

On the day of her departure, she tearfully said goodbye to her former nurse and boarded a flight, to what she hoped would be her new reality.

She simply sent a text to her mother, telling her,

_'Time is a great healer. And in time, our hearts will heal. I'm still your daughter and you're still my mother. I love you.'_

* * *

In New York, it took a great amount of convincing from Blaine, to get Sam in the mood to deal with Mercedes again.

He didn't want to cut open old wounds.

He was still raw and hurting from her breaking things off.

He decided to have an open mind and take things one day at a time.

* * *

On the plane, Mercedes sent Sam a message saying,

_ "I'll be at the Olde Book Shoppe at ten am."_ He didn't respond and she sent another one saying, _"I'll understand if you're not there." _

Again, no response.

Nevertheless, she continued on her flight and was met by Blaine and Kurt a couple hours later.

After introductions were made, Blaine took her bags, and drove her to the book shop.

* * *

Butterflies swarmed in Mercedes' stomach, as she crossed the street and walked the few steps to the bookstore.

She entered and found it to be eerily quiet.

It also looked empty.

Maybe Sam decided not to come, she thought.

She walked further inside, passing shelves of books on the way.

Close to the back, she saw one or two people looking at books. And at the very back, she saw Sam.

He looked different…but still the same.

The first thing that caught her attention, was that, he wasn't wearing black. He was wearing grey pants, a white tee and a blue denim jacket…he looked extremely handsome.

* * *

As if sensing her presence, Sam looked up from the book he was looking at and smiled.

"Hi," he said, his heart beating rapidly.

"Hey."

They stood there for a few seconds, just looking at each other. And then she asked,

"Do you ever wonder what your life would be like, if you could just change one thing?"

"What if changing one thing made things worse?"

"What if we hadn't met?"

"But we did."

"We did," she said. And then, "I'm sorry that I didn't say goodbye."

"Are you sure you should be here?" he asked.

"Probably not." She walked towards him and stood directly in front of him looking up into his pretty eyes. "What if today was the first day we met?"

* * *

Sam was barely holding it together.

The moment he set eyes on her, he wanted to ravish her succulent lips.

Everything about her turned him on in the moment.

Her innocent eyes drew him in, and his feet moved on their own.

"Okay," he said, looking from her eyes to her lips.

"I'm so happy to meet you," she said, and smiled.

That did it.

He leaned in and captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

As usual, he lost himself in the kiss and hope flared in his heart.

After a while he pulled back and smiled. He said,

"I'm so happy to meet you, too."

They stood for a few moments, with his forehead resting on hers and afterwards, he volunteered to show her around.

Hand in hand, fingers interlocked, the two broke into a run, with huge smiles on their faces, to start a new chapter in their lives... together.

* * *

**That's it for this story. I hope it was worth your time. Until I update my next story, much love to you. Happy Holidays! To you and yours.**


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